


Beauty and the Claude

by Cyan (vehicroids)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Fairy Tale Curses, M/M, Slow Burn, set vaguely in canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28510494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehicroids/pseuds/Cyan
Summary: Yuri has never been able to trust another person. His lack of trust ends up with a curse placed upon him: he must learn to trust another person, to love another person, or he will remain a beast for eternity.It's just a shame he ends up trapped with the least trustworthy people in Fódlan.(Christmas present for Halyo.)
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [halyo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/halyo/gifts).



Rowe manor has always been lively in the summer.

It's the first summer since both Count Rowe and his wife passed on, and Yuri's first birthday without them. He can't say he minds that much. He's twenty-four, he can handle a birthday without his parents. He deals with it as most people do: he throws a party for the occasion, a party he has no interest in, and perhaps drink away what little feeling is left in his heart. And, for the first time since their passing, the manor feels full.

Lords from all over Fódlan were invited, ranging from Adrestians to members of the Alliance. For one night, it's as if the poor relations between all three states doesn't exist. It's fascinating what good a party will do.

The grand hall lives up to its name. There are tables all around the sides of the room, filled with food and drink of all kinds. The middle of the room is reserved as a dance floor. The band plays an upbeat song, and the dance floor is filled with people, drunk on wine, attempting to dance along. Ah, if only Yuri could capture this somehow.

He flutters between groups of nobles, laughing at their jokes even if they aren't funny. He ends up trapped into a particularly long story by Count Gloucester, which he has to pretend to care about. At one point, he's dragged onto the dance floor by Margrave Gautier, with a cheeky wink. He won't tell Yuri's partner if Yuri doesn't. That ends in a punch to the stomach, and poor Sylvain wheezing on the floor.

Good. Yuri never liked that guy.

Under one of the tables, Yuri can see feet poking out, which he assumes is Count Hevring hiding underneath for a nap. His wife, Hapi, is at one of the tables, stuffing her cheeks with sweet rolls until they puff up like a hamster. At another table stands the newly-appointed head of House Gaspard, laughing at something that his 'bodyguard' said. The pair have never known subtlety. At the other end of the room, Yuri spots lady Ordelia flirting with one of the knights on guard, who nervously pushes up his glasses. Cute.

While Duke Goneril himself is not in attendance, his younger sister is, with a date on her arm. Yuri smiles politely at the pair, but he quickly moves on.

"People-watching again?" a voice at his side asks.

Yuri glances to the source, and there she is: Dorothea. She holds a glass of red wine so delicately in her hand, the drink the same colour as her dress. Her hair is done up perfectly, and she smells like the roses in the garden. Dorothea takes his arm, but he remains stiff.

"Heh, I'm surprised you're not mingling with the crowd," Yuri says.

Dorothea frowns. "Really, Yuri, I would've thought you would see me as better than that."

Yes, maybe he should. However, no matter how many months pass, he's still convinced that she will find a noble more worthy of her than he is. She's a beautiful little songbird: more than a fair share of nobles have already tried to win her over tonight. Maybe she should go with them. Maybe she would be happier.

Duke Aegir has been making eyes at her all night. It's driving Yuri up the wall. Dorothea hasn't looked at anyone but Yuri, yet he can't silence his own paranoia. He sits his hand on hers, but it does nothing to relax her frown. It does nothing to soothe his own anxieties, either.

As a common boy turned noble, he knows one thing and one thing alone: there are no friends among nobles, only shared interests and acquaintances. That is why he chooses to stay on their good side and supply all of his guests with alcohol. Sooner or later, something will slip, something that he may use if things go wrong for him. It's sneaky, and no doubt conniving, but neither he nor his mother got here by playing fair.

The late afternoon begins to shift into early evening. As expected, Yuri finds Hapi with Linhardt, sleeping under a table together. Of course: it's dusk. He leaves them both to sleep, but good on them for being able to sleep through this commotion. They're one pair he doesn't have to keep an eye on, too sleepy to plot against Rowe. There are too many guests to watch out for, too many who would stab each other in the back for an inch of land.

Dorothea excuses herself as she goes off with Duke Aegir. Yuri's mood sours. It's not that he doesn't trust her with other people - that would make him a hypocrite, considering he's been talking to everyone at the party - but instead, he doesn't trust other people with her. He keeps a careful gaze on the pair, until a hand clapped over his shoulder.

"Loosen up, pal. It's your birthday, yeah? Let me do the worrying," Balthus says.

"Your sense of danger is almost non existent. You're the type of guard dog that would let a burglar pet him, before robbing me blind," Yuri counters.

"Ouch. What's a guy gotta do to earn some faith around here?"

Yuri clicks his tongue, but doesn't say anything else. Balthus shrugs, before walking away. It's Balthus' job to worry, but Yuri can't worry about Balthus missing things. It's almost easier to do it himself. He stands by himself, watching Dorothea with another man. A servant comes along with a tray of drinks, and he plucks a glass from the tray.

The laugh Ferdinand lets out when Dorothea speaks to him is loud, so loud that Yuri can hear it over the music. She laughs with him, until she catches Yuri's eye. She tries a smile, but Yuri doesn't cheer up.

He takes it back: he doesn't trust either of them.

He goes over to the pair, drink in hand. "What am I missing over here?"

"Oh, Yuri," Dorothea sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Excellent timing! Dorothea was recounting a tale from her songstress days. Please, Dorothea, continue," Ferdinand says, gesturing with his hand.

Dorothea moves her hand away, and puts on her best smile, but it's that smile that warns Yuri he's in trouble. He takes a sip of his wine, but it tastes wrong.

"You know all of my stories," she says to Yuri. "It's the one where the leading man broke his ankle on stage."

"That's a nasty one," Yuri says with a grimace.

She tells the story, taking a strange delight when Ferdinand's face turns a shade of green at the mention of a snap. She never did like Ferdinand, and his misery seems to bring her a kind of solace. She's a strange one, and Yuri will never understand her. But Dorothea is not who Yuri is focused on. He keeps his gaze on Ferdinand, who has begun to sweat nervously.

"I hope I am not overstepping," he says, "but have I upset you?"

"Me? No. Now, why would you say that?" Yuri asks.

"That look you are giving me. I do not mean to be rude, of course, but if I have offended you in some way, please speak freely."

Yuri takes a long drink of his wine. "No. Everything is fine here, friend."

He can see the look Dorothea is giving him from the corner of his eye, but he tries to pay it no mind. Instead, he looks squarely at Ferdinand. Ferdinand is the first to blink, tugging on his collar.

"Ah, I believe Margrave Gautier is calling for me. If you will excuse me," he says, before quickly fleeing the scene.

Dorothea and Yuri are left standing by themselves. She clutches her wine glass in both hands, staring off into the distance where Ferdinand goes. Despite the music that fills the hall, it is deathly quiet. Dorothea drains her glass in one gulp, before dropping it onto the tray of a passing servant.

"You don't trust me, do you?"

It's not an accusation, nor even a question: it's a statement. She looks into his eyes, and Yuri looks back, but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't need to. Her heart breaks; he can see it in her eyes, and the way her mouth opens ever so slightly. Dorothea's shoulders sink for a moment, before squaring up again. She turns on her heel suddenly.

"Where are you going?" he asks, trying to reach for her but can't quite grasp her.

She's gone in a flash, her heels clicking against marble, and Yuri is left chasing after her. She pushes past confused guests, and Yuri doesn't bother saying anything to them - they're not his focus. He hears their questions, but he does not reply. He keeps calling for Dorothea, but whether she can hear him or is just ignoring him, he can't tell. It doesn't matter. Dorothea doesn't stop until she's at the front door of the manor, dropping down the steps.

"Dorothea-"

"Yuri." Her tone is cold, colder than he's ever heard from her before. "How can you expect this to work if you won't trust me?"

Her hands are balled into fists at her side, shaking. A faint glow emanates between her fingers, but she's quick to keep herself back under control; Dorothea is a mage, but by no means a wicked one. She sniffles, but she regains herself quickly. He still does not have an answer for her, which is enough of an answer for Dorothea.

"All you're doing is cursing yourself into a life of loneliness. How can you live a life like this? Unless you learn to trust someone, you'll never be trusted. Unless you can learn to love someone, you'll never be loved back. Until then, you'll be nothing but a beast." Dorothea looks over her shoulder. "I feel sorry for anyone who stays around you. It's like being imprisoned in a pretty cage."

She keeps going down the steps, and an awful feeling builds beneath Yuri's skin. He ignores it for the moment, assuming it's dread. He keeps chasing after her, down the path, but still she does not stop.

"Will you just stop and listen to me?" Yuri asks.

He feels wrong in his own skin, like something is trying to burst out of him. His body is shaking, and he slows down. His body is heavy, so heavy he can hardly breathe. He reaches for her again, but his hand doesn't look right.

"Dorothea!"

His voice comes out as a low growl, like an animal. She turns around to face him then, and her eyes are wide with horror.

"Yuri?" she asks, her voice high and loud.

The only thing Yuri registers after that is pain. It's deep seated within him, and he feels like he's bursting at the seams. He hunches over as another growl escapes from him. From a distance - or it sounds far away, if nothing else - he hears a scream, shrill and painful. The rest of the world fades in and out as his head pounds. He might vomit. He can't tell. Nothing makes sense in his mind.

Yuri drops to the floor, his head in his hands. At least, he thinks they're his hands, but there's something so strange about them. He tries to speak, to call out, but all he can do is howl.

And the rest of the night fades to nothing.

***

Yuri wakes up early in the morning.

His head hurts, but he expected that. His mouth is dry and feels weird, but he expected that as well. He can barely remember last night's events, no matter how much he tries. He gets up from the floor as he tries to piece it together. Dorothea was so angry at him, and then all he felt was pain. Was he spiked? It wouldn't surprise him. It's not the first time someone has tried.

The air around the grounds feels off, full of static, like a storm is brewing. At least the weather held out for his birthday. Only in Faerghus can the weather still be bad in the Verdant Rain Moon. The grounds are a mess, the flower beds trampled across in a hurry. How strange; Yuri can't remember anyone making a mess of the estate last night. He makes his way up the path, and the manor doors are still open.

Something cold takes hold of him. Habit makes him reach for his sword at his hip, but comes up empty. He wouldn't wear a sword for his birthday. His body is slow, sluggish, foreign as he makes it back inside the manor.

"Anyone home?" he asks as he enters.

His voice is low and gruff - too much alcohol, not enough water. There's no response, not even from the servants. He looks around, but there's no one. The inside of the manor is trashed. As he passes, he tries to fix it with a flick of his wrist, but his magic fails him. He'll fix it later. Or he can get Constance to do it.

What happened last night?

He can't find anyone, no matter what. He walks through the main living quarters, but it's dead. The whole manor is dead. Where-

"Take _that!_ "

Before Yuri can register the shrill shriek of Constance's voice, something large and heavy smashes against his back. Yuri roars, turning to face her.

"What was that for?"

Their eyes meet. Constance is holding the remnants of a broken chair, her eyes wide as she stares up at him. She looks small, smaller than usual. Something here isn't right.

"Y- Yuri?" she gasps, before raising her broken chair higher. "No! You scoundrel! You- you must be a sound-alike!"

"Great, beat me with a chair and tell me I'm not me," Yuri says, rubbing his back.

What he finds instead of the cloth of his finery is fur. No matter where he touches, there is only more fur. He pulls back his hand and examines his arm. There is fur everywhere, ashen in colour, protruding between ripped fabric.

His eyes widen in fear, and Constance prepares for another attack.

"What's going on?" Yuri gasps.

She stops just short of whacking him again. "I was hoping you would tell me, scoundrel!"

"Huh. That you, Yuri?"

Balthus smiles lazily at them both, like he's just woken up. He probably has. Yuri doesn't care; he's just glad that someone recognised him underneath the apparent fur he's covered in.

"Of course it is," he grumbles in turn.

"I knew it! What's with the get-up, though?"

He looks back down at his arms. Nothing but fur. His limbs are long and thin, thinner than usual. His hands are clawed, with the pads sitting on his fingertips and palms. Almost like a dog's, but not quite. It's a bastardisation between beast and man.

The good news is, he isn't allergic to himself.

The bad news is, he has no idea what's going on.

"What is this?" he asks no one in particular.

"Looks to me like you pissed off a particularly powerful mage. It wasn't you, was it?" Balthus asks, looking down at Constance.

"What exactly are you accusing me of? Abusing my magic for my own gains? I-"

"Ugh, can you keep the noise down?" a voice pipes up from under one of the tables.

She peeks out from under one of the tables: Hapi. She looks particularly sour, her red hair messy from sleep. She rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands, frowning.

"Good morning, Lady Hevring," Yuri says, venom touching his tone.

"Woah. What is…" She gestures to Yuri. "What is that?"

Yuri can barely hide his annoyance any more. He doesn't realise Balthus has gone until he's back with a mirror. Yuri almost doesn't want to look, but whether he likes it or not, the mirror is tipped up at him. He flinches at what he sees, stepping back. What he sees is not the usual, beautiful young man, but instead all he sees is a beast. His head is that of a wolf, and Yuri wouldn't believe it to be him were it not for the wolf-man in the mirror matching his expression.

"What happened, then? You had a fight with your old lady?" Balthus asks.

A fight isn't how he would put it. A fight would involve them listening to each other's grievances, but no. That was a breakup. From the looks of Yuri's face, a particularly nasty one at that. He doesn't even know what he's done.

"Does it matter?" Yuri asks. "This is fixable, yeah? It's not the first curse that's been put on me."

It hasn't. Yuri - and House Rowe - has always had his fair share of enemies. Poisonings and curses are all part of the house at this point; hence why he had hired Constance, one of the best mages in all of Fódlan. Though she does little more than go on about someday finding the money to build her own house. Hesitantly, she approaches Yuri. She gestures for him to come down to her level, and when his face meets her hands, she flinches.

"This isn't like any curse I've laid eyes on before," Constance whispers, unsure. Then, steely determination goes through her. "However. If we all work together, we can put an end to this curse."

From the floor, Hapi yawns. "You can do that. I wanna go home. The rest of the party can't be too far ahead, so I'm gonna see if I can at least catch up with Linny. See you."

With that, she's on her feet and out the door. It's easier to let her go, though Constance complains. Yuri ushers the other two to the library, walking over a mess as they go. They can clean up later, once they find some kind of cure. Exhaustion begins to settle in - Yuri wouldn't call ‘passing out in a courtyard' restful sleep - but there will be time for resting later. As soon as he knows what's going on, anyway.

The library is in fine shape at least, untouched by last night's escapades. All three of them have a pile of books, though Yuri is finding it difficult to read. The pads of his fingers - paws? Fingers? He can't tell, and he's not getting into semantics - don't turn the pages too well, and the claws aren't helpful. Frustrated, he has to ask Constance for help. He would ask Balthus, but the man is looking particularly focused on his book. Yuri leaves him to it.

Until Balthus falls backwards with a thud.

Constance yelps, and Yuri falls to his side immediately. He's not sure what to do; he can't check Balthus' pulse, lest he accidentally claw into an artery. No, but he has to do something. Before he can lean down to check his breathing, Balthus blinks to attention. He groans as he holds a hand over his head.

"Woah," Balthus chuckles, "that's new. I was reading, trying to make sense of this, then I just kinda passed out."

Yuri sighs. "You probably just need to eat something. Alright, doing this so early was a bad idea. We're taking a break, and we'll come back to it after breakfast."

There's a look on Balthus' face, like he wants to say something else, but he doesn't. Spurred on by the idea of food, he sits up. They could all do with some food before tackling this. As he does, footsteps come down the hall, and for a moment, Yuri hoped it would be a servant or something, but it's not. Familiar red eyes are wide with worry as she looks between the three of them.

"So, uh, how long have you had that magic dome over the manor?" Hapi asks.

Yuri's brow furrows. "What?"

What he really wants to ask is _what the fuck is happening now_ , but he doesn't. Hapi gestures with her head for him to follow, and Yuri stands to follow her. They come out into the chilly, cloudy morning air, and he shivers. Only in Faerghus can it be cold in summer. Yuri looks up, and when he does, he can make out a faint, silvery film glittering over the manor, faint enough that he's not sure it's there. That's certainly new; he might be a paranoid little shit, but he's never raised a shield around the manor. He has no idea how to do so.

In the back of his mind, he sees Dorothea, standing with her back to him with her magic swirling in her hands - but it cut out as soon as it started. She wouldn't have done this. She's not a spiteful person. Yet he can't help but wonder.

The last words she had said to him were about love and trust. Without both of those, he will always be a beast. What nonsense. And yet, he wonders if those are the terms of his curse. He can't ask Dorothea. Why would she stick around and risk getting cursed with them? Especially if she's going to seal the estate with a barrier. How odd.

She's had her moments, but Yuri never thought she would do this.

"Well, this is certainly a lively day," Yuri says, uneasy. "Thanks for letting me know. I guess that's item number three of things to sort out."

"You might wanna work on it soon, because I can't go home."

What.

He's not angry, not when deep down, he knew this was the case. No, he's more frustrated

If Yuri could pull his hair, he would. Instead, all he does is scrape his claws into his scalp. He needs to calm down before this spirals under control. He takes a deep breath and approaches the barrier, which stops just before the front gates. He holds up a hand and touches the barrier, and he's stopped by a near-invisible force. It's solid, and no matter how much he pushes, it does not budge. It's warm to the touch, unnervingly warm.

He keeps his hand pressed against it, as if the barrier will break if he does. It doesn't, it stays put. Beside him, Hapi tries to shoulder through the barrier, but to no avail.

 _I feel sorry for anyone who stays around you. It's like being imprisoned in a pretty cage_.

Is that really how she felt? Yuri frowns. Now he gets a taste of his own medicine, trapped in his own pretty cage. He sighs, letting his eyes slide shut. This isn't what he wanted at all.

This is yet another thing for the three of them - now four - to sort out. Another part of the curse to untangle, a fresh mystery. Yuri's had enough of this. Overhead, rain starts up, gentle at first but it won't be long before it's a downpour. He gestures for Hapi to follow him back inside. Thankfully, with her own magical knowledge, mixed in with hearing Linhardt talk incessantly, Constance's own magical prowess and Balthus' knowledge, the four of them can figure something out.

If not, then they're screwed.

They'll sort that out if it comes to that.

***

The coming days are spent mostly in the library. Balthus has developed a habit of fainting when presented with books too complicated for him, and fainting whenever he thinks too hard about anything at all. He has never been the brightest in the world, but even for him, this is too much. Perhaps a children's book would suit Balthus better. The suggestion is met with a laugh, likely not realising that Yuri is serious.

Heavy clouds have been hanging over the manor for the past few days, which Yuri believed was part of the curse, until sunlight finally peaked through the clouds. Yuri was never one to sunbathe, but even he could admit that the sight of the sun made him feel better. At least the manor isn't cursed to endless dreary weather. It's one less thing to worry about.

The sunlight is bright through the library windows. There's some cheer that enters the library after a week or so of endless research. Having had enough of the shadows, Hapi slams her book shut and stands up.

"I'm bored of being shut in," Hapi says. "I'm gonna go read outside. Anyone else coming?"

Constance shakes her head. "No, I wouldn't want to disturb your peaceful day. I shall stay here, in the darkness."

What.

Strange occurrence number three: Constance's mood dropping to the point of metaphorically thrashing herself with brambles. Yuri looks over at her. She's sitting in the mid morning sun, but a shadow looms over her expression. Her eyes are downcast, unable to look anyone in the eye. Hapi and Balthus look on in confusion, before looking to Yuri for guidance.

How is he supposed to know what's going on? He can only assume it's tied to Balthus' thinking issues, which he believes is tied to his own curse. That's only a theory, though he hasn't voiced that to the others yet.

"Okay, come on Coco, the sun will make you feel better," Hapi says, pulling her up by the arm.

"No, please, I will only-" The dark shadow on her face disappears the moment Constance is out of the sun, and behind one of the bookshelves with Hapi. "Hapi! Unhand me! Do you not understand the word ‘no'?"

"Ah, here's the Constance we all know and love," Yuri says fondly. "Hapi, push her back into the sun a second. I want to try something."

With a noise close to affirmation, Hapi pulls Constance into the light. The moment she does, Constance's shoulders slump, like watching a flower immediately wilt away. This is definitely new; Constance has always been a paragon of unwarranted self importance and confidence. To see her so withdrawn is strange, unbearable even. What if it's tied to the curse? What unfortunate curse will be inflicted on Hapi? Yuri doesn't know how much more of this he can take.

"Are my mood swings causing troubles?" Constance asks, her voice low. "Please, have my sincerest apologies. I shall excuse myself from-"

"Knock it off, will you?" Yuri says. His patience is already thin, and Constance is certainly not helping.

Hapi rolls her eyes. "Great. This is getting better and better, and sounding less and less like my problem. I'm gonna head outside."

With her book tucked under her arm, Hapi leaves. This curse seems to be getting more and more complicated by the day. Yuri doesn't know if they'll ever be able to solve it. With every passing hour, his hope grows thinner.

***

Yuri is sick of reading.

It has been two weeks since it all happened, and nothing changes. Constance still cannot go in the sun, Balthus still cannot read, and Hapi remains Hapi. The latter should be comforting, but it isn't. He's expecting her to be able to breathe fire, or some sort of nonsense. It wouldn't surprise him. Nothing will surprise him anymore. The manor could burn down, and Yuri would shrug it off and call it another Monday for him.

It's been two weeks since he's seen Dorothea, and he expected to miss her more than he does. It's not because he expected her to come back - quite the opposite. He would be surprised if he ever saw her again. Yet still, he does not miss her. It's strange; maybe he never did love her like he thought. Is there much point in dwelling on it now? The problem is, without being able to go out, how is he meant to love and trust? Dorothea likely didn't think about that. She didn't think about the curse at all. He still doubts she did this on purpose, not from her expression when she was fleeing the estate.

It's a nice day outside. Yuri can't stand to read in the dusty library anymore. It's looking more and more like they won't find answers in a book. Dorothea is a powerful mage, and this is a curse not even Constance can dispel. Perhaps they'll never be able to break the curse. Either way, Yuri is not looking for more answers in books. He needs to be outside.

He'll never get used to how quiet the estate is now. Before, there would always be servants milling around, no matter where he was or what time it is. Now, there's no one. Even outside, there would be gardeners working, but they're long gone. Yuri might have to tend to the flowers himself now, even though he doesn't have a green thumb. At least he still has thumbs.

While it's not quite the field of bloom that it is in spring, the garden is still lovely. The flowers were more of his mother's choosing; she was always fond of flower language. It fascinates Yuri as well, how a bouquet of flowers could mean something completely different with the addition or subtraction of a certain colour of peony. In his room sits a big book of flower language, a gift from his mother, in case he ever needed to send a secret message. Resourceful and thoughtful. A perfect present from Ida.

The most important part of the garden is the rose bushes. Rowe is one of the few places in Faerghus where the weather is fair enough to grow them, and they've always impressed his fellow Faerghus nobles. Sure, it's not quite the gardens of Gloucester, but it doesn't have to be. There are roses of every colour in the garden, from deep purple to the most vibrant yellows.

Today, however, the roses aren't different colours. They all glow faintly, their petals dyed blue.

Fourteen of the roses have already died, leaving nothing but a dried brown husk behind. There is one more slowly dying, the head drooping. A rose for every day, including today. Yuri's heart stops. He knows this kind of flower, as rare as it may be: everoses. No frost nor dehydration will kill them, only the passage of time. He takes one between his fingers but does not pull it from the bush. He scoffs.

Blue roses; unattainable and mysterious. Is this a joke?

"Oh. Here you are."

Yuri looks behind him. Hapi is standing there, head tilted as she looks at him.

"I needed some fresh air, some time alone," he says, before looking back at the everoses. He sighs. "How many roses do you think are here?"

She steps closer, humming in thought. "Dunno. Two hundred?"

A fair guess, but Yuri doesn't think that's quite it. If he were a gambling man, he would bet on it being three hundred and fifty six; a year until his time is up. He's not sure what happens at the end, whether he stays as a wolf-man forever or it ends worse. He could pluck out all the roses now and find out. He doesn't want to.

"So, why are you out here?" Yuri asks.

"I'm not a prisoner, I can walk around where I want, can't I?" she asks, her gaze cold. "And I was getting a headache with B and Coco."

That sounds about right. Usually, their duties would separate them, but now they have nothing to do but to stick together. He steps back from the flowers.

"Yeah, I'm in a similar place. And here I was hoping we could all get along," Yuri says.

Hapi stretches. "That was never gonna happen."

She's right. Peace is too much to ask for in these trying times. He would laugh if it wasn't so tragic. At least out there, there's peace and quiet.

"I don't know how you deal with this every day, Yuribird," she says. "I don't have to deal with anything like this back home."

"Oh, so you do deal with your staff?" he asks.

"No. But things sure are peaceful back there." Hapi sighs. "I miss it. I never thought I'd get homesick for Hevring, but I am. And it sucks. And-"

A roar interrupts their conversation. Yuri turns around, reaching at his hip before clicking his tongue. Right. No sword. He wishes he had it now, more than ever, as they're faced by a couple of monsters. They freeze. How did it get in? That doesn't matter right now. They're bigger than him, but in a physical fight, Yuri stands more of a chance than Hapi. He steps in front of her.

"Get Balthus."

Hapi doesn't argue. He would ask for Constance too, but in the sun, she's useless. Yuri swallows down his fear. All he can do is make sure the beasts don't go for Hapi. He catches their attention. The beasts can tear him apart all they like, as long as they catch him.

One of them charges for him with a growl, and he steps back just in time. He doesn't have a weapon, and he's not the best at hand-to-hand combat, but he's fast. The beast leaps, and misses Yuri completely.

What it doesn't miss is one of the rose bushes.

In its surprise and agony, it thrashes in the bushes, tearing them to shreds. It manages to break free, only to trample in more bushes as it charges for Yuri again. He turns to run, only to see Balthus in the distance. He's grinning at Yuri, but Yuri's in no mood to share his cheer.

"Don't worry pal, I've got this," he calls.

It's about time Balthus does his job.

Yuri steps out of the way and watches Balthus take care of the beasts. There are few things that make Balthus grin as he does, and a good brawl is one of those things. How did those beasts even get in? Yuri's eyes fall to the bushes. Half of them have been torn to shreds. He's not sure if he wants to laugh or cry: half of his life is stuck on a beast's body, little more than a thorn in its fur. He wants to laugh. This is absurd.

He watches on as Balthus gets rid of the beasts. Hapi gives him a one-man standing ovation when it's over, but Yuri doesn't give a shit about the beast corpses. No, instead he goes over to the bushes and counts the remaining roses.

One hundred and seventy four days left.

As if it matters. They would need a miracle to get rid of this curse.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been about two months since Count Rowe went missing.

At this point, he's presumed dead, but no one is going to go looking for him. That manor is haunted, cursed, or some mix of the two. The last time anyone saw the young count was at his birthday party. Some say the woman he was courting broke up with him and he threw a fit. Some believed they saw him turn into a wolf. Another story claims poor Yuri had been torn apart by the wolf-beasts that invaded the estate that night.

If you ask Claude, it all sounds like bullshit to him, but a good story is a good story all the same.

That guy was never made for noble life. The story goes that Yuri was adopted into nobility, and with no legitimate heirs to the house, Yuri took the name Count Rowe when his adoptive father died. Faerghus seems cursed to Claude but what does he know? He is but a simple young lad from Leicester, after all.

He's a man on a mission, however. That mission is to find a perfect gift.

He has already traipsed around Adrestia for gifts, though Claude has come up short there. It's hard to discern Hilda's tastes. What is classed as too tacky, or not cute enough? He doesn't have a clue. It gives him a headache to think about style and fashion, especially to her standards. Claude knows how to pick them: high maintenance and unnaturally pretty.

Claude finds himself in Rowe on his way to Fhirdiad. It's a nice enough area, warmer than the rest of Faerghus if nothing else. He might want to get a move on, lest he ends up in Faerghus in the beginning of winter. It's already cold enough in the middle of autumn, though he can't tell if the chill is from the temperature, or the atmosphere in Rowe.

What happened to the land is no secret. It's openly talked about in the streets; with no lord, there is no fear of being dragged off. The guards don't care much either. For the moment, the great and glorious Lord Gaspard has been so kind as to lend Rowe his aid until they can find Yuri, or accept that he's dead and find a new heir. From the looks of it, Rowe may end up under Gaspard's rule. Now  _ that  _ would be funny, considering the head of that house is a wimp.

Ah, but once again, what does Claude know of politics?

He moves across the city streets easily, tipping an imaginary hat to the ladies he walks by, winking at the especially pretty ones. The market is busy, with all kinds of merchants lining the streets with their wares. They're all shouting over each other, ranging from fresh fruits to cute accessories for a girlfriend.

"Don't worry, I'm single," Claude says at the latter statement, making the girl behind the stall laugh. "But, what do you recommend for a guy who's looking for a gift for a real high-maintenance girl?"

Hilda would complain at that. She's not high maintenance, she just likes to be pretty. It's not her fault that Claude doesn't care. Blah, blah,  _ blah _ . Fine, he's proving her point that he doesn't care, but he doesn't. The jeweller gestures to one of the necklaces, thick with gemstones.

He can only hear two words in his head as he looks at it, in a very familiar voice:  _ ew, tacky. _

Claude laughs to himself. Yeah, she's not going to like that. "Got something a little less flashy? The girl likes flashy, but there's gotta be a limit."

She looks at him for a moment as if to say  _ cheapskate _ , before smiling brightly and gesturing to another. It's equally as bad. For a moment, Claude wishes he had brought a girl with him on his travels. Other than Hilda, however, there's no one he could have taken with him. Ah, well. Maybe he should have just asked Hilda if she wanted anything, but that would have ruined the surprise. It's fine; he'll find something suitable for her on his travels.

He doesn't do it to win her affections - that ship set long ago, and he waved it off with a tissue. No, he does it because they're friends (and because she'll kick his ass if he doesn't bring back a souvenir). The best part is, he doesn't need to  _ try  _ to win her affections. The problem is, this is still Hilda, and she's still a picky princess. He'll find something, even if he doesn't find anything in Fhirdiad.

He considers Rowe Manor for a moment. It's abandoned, right? It's also rumoured to be teeming with monsters. He's not much of a thief, and all the good stuff is probably taken already, but where's the harm? Maybe he can swap an item for a few coins or something, then it feels less like stealing.

Of all the things Claude thought he would resort to for Hilda Valentine Goneril, he did not think thievery would be one of those things.

It's not like it'll hurt to take a look. At worst, some crotchety old farmer stops him, warning him about the curse on the ol' Rowe house. Oh no, old farmers - his one weakness. If he walks, he'll arrive by nightfall, giving him plenty of cover to investigate. Plus, an oldish, abandoned manor? Who was Claude to not go and check it out? He can't help his own curiosity, not when it's likely that everyone else has been scared off by the sheer nature of the estate.

It'll take more than a spooky story to scare Claude away.

The path up to the manor isn't kept very well anymore, but why would it need to be? No one is going up there. No one except for thieves and curious little thrill seekers like Claude. How long has the manor been abandoned, exactly? From the looks of the path, one would think longer than a couple of months. It wasn't as if the count was unpopular either; the people speak quite fondly of him.

How strange. Yet another mystery he intends to get to the bottom of.

The sun has almost set by the time Claude makes it to the manor. From the path, he was expecting the manor to be a wreck, but it's immaculate from where he's standing. Usually, children wouldn't hesitate to throw rocks at abandoned buildings and trash the site, curse or no curse. A part of Claude tells him to turn back and forget about this place, but what's life without a bit of adventure?

Claude presses on. He climbs over the gate of the manor, landing with a thud on the other side. The moment he's within the estate, the wind stops. Silence. The autumn chill is gone, but it's replaced by another chill down his spine. It feels like he's being watched by something. There could be credence to the rumours. He shakes it off and carries on.

The grounds are well-kept, nothing like the abandoned trail leading up to the manor. That path was strange, far too overgrown for just a couple of months of neglect. Perhaps someone forced it to grow, but Claude isn't sure: he's never been an expert on magic.

The only sound he can hear is his own steps in the grass. He can't hear an animal, nor another person. It's like he's in a bubble, away from the rest of the world. It's strange. He keeps his breaths slow and steady as he stays on high alert, but there's nothing. This place is abandoned, but it doesn't feel like it.

He hears something, and he stops. Claude raises his hands. "Easy,  _ easy _ . I'm not here to do anything. Just curious, that's all. Taking a look around, then I'll be on my way."

Silence. Maybe he didn't hear anything after all. Maybe he's talking to himself, but he feels better for it. Claude would like to believe the sound came from the trees surrounding the manor, but he can't hear the rustle of leaves at all. He should run, go back the way he came, but he's in too deep now and his curiosity is gnawing at him. He takes a few slow steps forward with his hands up, but nothing happens. Either he's hearing things, or whatever is out there is letting Claude go. He opens his mouth to thank it or them, but stops himself. He's not thanking the empty air.

His steps are quicker now. Whatever Claude wants to get from the manor, he needs to grab it and go. He tries the main entrance, but the door is either locked or jammed. Great, so he's in the open air with something that's watching him. With a click of his tongue, he moves away. Fine, Claude can find another entrance.

He swears he hears a growl behind him, and he freezes. Once again, Claude puts his hands up. Once again, nothing happens. Once again, Claude considers leaving.

Instead, he circles the manor, searching for a way in. Someone must have left a window open; the manor was abandoned in summer. Yet there are no open windows or doors, and no way into the building. He could smash open one of the windows, but he stops himself when something else catches his eye.

At this time of year, the gardens should be barren, and they are for the most part. Apart from one section that glows a bright blue, brilliant in the night. Claude lets out a low whistle as he approaches. He's no expert on flowers, but roses that glow can only be one thing. If he's careful, he could pick one and it'll live forever. Everoses don't die, he knows this much for sure. It's a shame they're not pink, but it'll do. It'll keep until he gets back to Goneril.

There are more bushes, but they look like they've been torn down and torn apart. Claude doesn't want to know what caused that. Whatever did that, Claude doesn't want to meet it.

He pulls out a blade he has stashed on his belt, and searches for the prettiest of the flowers. It's right in the centre, practically begging for his attention. Once he finds it, he readies his blade.

"What are you doing? Stop!"

It's too late. Claude snips the everose, and the light begins to fade. Before he can react, he's tackled from the side by a great beast. Two paws - hands? - pin him down, and the beast growls down at him, eyes wide. Its gaze falls on the flower he dropped, and the sound that comes out of it is decidedly human.

"You-" It swipes the everose from Claude's hand. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

The light from the rose is gone. Even in the darkness, Claude can see the rose died, brown and brittle. Angry, the beast crushes it into dust.

"Look, I don't know anything about flowers. I thought these ones were immortal," Claude says, his voice shaky.

The beast doesn't seem any less angry, but there's a sad edge to his ire. "Another day gone. What does it matter anyway?"

It speaks so quietly that Claude isn't sure that he heard that right. Something about another day, but he doesn't quite hear it. Claude tries to move, but it has him pinned down with its other hand.

"Just let me go, and I won't cause any more trouble. You have my word."

"You also said you wouldn't do anything, and look at what you did," the beast snaps back.

So Claude wasn't hearing things: something was following him. This beast had been trailing him, probably from the moment he set foot in the estate. Claude tries to raise his hands defensively, but he can't go very high. His charms don't seem to be working at all - or not well enough, because the beast hasn't torn out his throat yet. That's a positive.

"I should kill you," it spits.

"But you won't. Why is that?" Claude asks. "Feel bad about harming an innocent civilian? Or am I just that handsome?"

It opens its mouth to say something, but stops itself. It snarls, but still, it doesn't let him go.

"Anyone ever told you you're pretty handsome for a monster-thing? Or do you prefer cute? Pretty?" Claude coos.

"You know what? I changed my mind." The beast looms over him. "I think I will kill you."

"Alright, alright, that's enough, yeah?"

A deep voice cuts through the night, along with heavy footsteps. Claude dares to look, but in the darkness, it doesn't look like it bodes well for him. It's another beast of a man - man-beast? - though he can't tell if he's on Claude's side, the beast's side, or his own side. He's not about to ask. He doesn't like his chances either way.

"You're taking the beast thing to heart huh, pal?"

The beast sighs. "Shut up."

"C'mon." The man-beast shakes his head. "Let him go."

There's a moment's pause, before the beast finally gets off Claude. He takes a quick breath before scrambling to his feet. He tips his imaginary hat to the more human-looking one of the pair.

"Thanks for that. So, I think I'm gonna be off now, places to be and all," Claude says.

"Are you gonna tell him?" one of them says quietly to the other.

"Let him figure it out for himself."

Claude doesn't want to know. Honestly, he just wants to leave. Damn his curiosity. At least this time, he doesn't have to break into the estate, and can simply walk out the front gate. Or he would if it was unlocked, but from far, he can see it's locked. Damn. No matter, he got up here just fine.

"Either of you willing to give me a boost?" he asks. It's a shame that his easy smile doesn't work in relative darkness.

"I don't think you'll-" the beast starts, before stopping himself. He nods. "I'll give you a hand, friend."

Claude looks at the other. "Any other takers?"

"Don't worry, he doesn't bite," the other one assures him.

That doesn't soothe Claude at all.

He follows the beast to the gates in silence. He can feel those eyes on him, inhuman, staring into his soul. He's trying to figure Claude out, but he won't be around long enough for him to figure it out.

As soon as they get to the gates, Claude bows deeply to him.

"Thank you for a lovely evening, your beastliness," Claude says, "but if you don't mind giving me a boost…"

The beast folds his arms. "Try opening the gate first, before you give me your heartfelt goodbye. Go on."

He doesn't like the tone that the beast takes with him, snide and cold. He wants Claude gone, right? Yet he doesn't seem too willing to help. Annoyed, Claude reaches out for the gate. He expects to grip cool metal, but his hand doesn't get that far.

His palm ends up pressed against an invisible barrier of some kind, too warm to the touch.

Claude pulls back as if scalded, gripping his wrist. He looks to the beast, who looks unsurprised, but apologetic. He places his own hand to the barrier, and if Claude didn't know any better, he would believe it was longingly. The beast stares down the path.

"I thought I sent people plenty of warnings not to come up here," the beast says. "It's easy to get in here, but not so easy to get out."

"You're not saying I'm trapped here with you, right?" Claude laughs, but it comes out more nervous than he wanted it to.

The beast is quiet for a moment too long. "The only escape is death."

Claude laughs again, but the laughter stops when the beast doesn't join him. Oh hell. He tries to reach for the gate again, but it's just out of reach, no matter how much he tries. He's not a wizard, but spells like this can be broken. Right? Right. Maybe the beast doesn't have any mages. Claude doesn't care about him right now - he wants to get out of here .

Oh, where are Lorenz and Lysithea when Claude needs them?

"There are some rooms in the manor. You can stay," the beast says.

"You're not going to kill me?" Claude asks.

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"Not at all." Claude bows, mostly sarcastic. "Thank you for your generosity, You Beastliness."

He follows the beast back inside the manor. He's well behaved, for a beast. Claude imagined more teeth, more claws, and a fight to the death. If it wasn't for the big guy, that might have been the case. Claude doesn't want to think about it. How does he keep getting entangled in these messes?

The manor is bigger than he expected. It's big, but distinctly empty. In the foyer are a man and a woman, the latter looking like she's ready for bed. They look over at Claude and the beast upon entering, and the man's face lights up.

"I told Constance you'd spare him!"

"Oh? A lack of faith from Constance? That's new," the beast says.

"You have an awful track record with ruffians. I can hardly be blamed."

Claude laughs. A ruffian - that's a new one. But her way of speaking and the way she holds herself is not that of a servant, but rather, a noble. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would think he was speaking to a high-ranking noble.

"I didn't know the Count had a sister," Claude says.

Constance - as he assumes is her name - huffs, her nose high in the air. "I am not his sister! I can Constance von Nuvelle, the scion of House Nuvelle. Unfortunately at the moment, I have been employed under House Rowe as the count's court mage."

So the count did have a mage. Excellent. Surely she can do something about the barrier. It can let people in, but not out. Curious. Unless she's decided to lock herself up with this beast and keep him under control. Maybe he can talk her into letting him go.

"Where is the Count, anyway?" Claude asks.

Constance is about to answer, but the beast steps in. "Who knows. He vanished, and no one's heard from him since."

Constance gives the beast a strange look, but doesn't argue. "And will this gentleman be staying with us?"

"For now, yeah. Not like he has much of a choice," the beast says. He looks down at Claude. "What's your name?"

"You can call me Claude."

"The big guy's Balthus, the little one's Constance-"

"Excuse me!"

"-And there's Hapi, but she's still asleep. You won't see her until dawn."

So there's only four of them. Most of the servants must have fled, except for Constance - and whatever Hapi and Balthus were before all of this. Did they not want to escape, or were they unable to? And why is there a beast here? He's an odd mix of beast and man. His limbs are a little too long, too thin, but they're more human in shape, and his head is a wolf's head. His mannerisms are that of a man, with one hand on where Claude assumes is a hip.

He catches himself staring, and looks away. Sure, he's not technically checking another man out, but it feels too close to it.

"Guess for the moment," Balthus starts, before dropping into a sing-song tone, "you'll have to be our guest-"

Constance elbows him in the ribs. "No. We are absolutely not doing that."

Claude grins. Maybe being trapped with the four of them won't be so bad.

***

Claude was wrong.

Claude was very, very wrong.

He quickly learns everyone in this place is cursed, though not as obviously as the beast. Hapi's curse is the most dangerous, and Claude makes a note not to anger her. It doesn't help that her temper is short, and doesn't seem to like being teased. Claude should probably avoid her. He can't fight off monsters that may come and attack the manor.

Though, no one is entirely sure if that's her doing, but no one is willing to risk it. So instead, there is a ban on making Hapi sigh, which is a very difficult thing to avoid.

Claude knows he has rotten luck. He just never thought his luck would lead him to be trapped like a decoration in a snow globe. Shake him up, watch him go. No matter what he tried to escape, it does not work.

The beast avoids Claude. He avoids everyone, but he avoids Claude in particular it seems. He's probably wary of strangers, and Claude can't blame him. At least it means he has no interest in killing him anymore, which he will take as a win. It strikes him that he never got the beast's name, but no one seems willing to share that piece of information, least of all the beast himself.

Fine. If he prefers, then Claude will exclusively refer to him as such.

Claude doesn't wander around the manor much, mostly because he's not here to overstay his tenuous welcome. There isn't much to see, and even less to do. Faerghus falls are the worst, beaten only by its winter. At least he's stuck in a warmer part of the state, but it's nothing compared to the warmth of Leicester - or even Almyra.

The manor is cold, but there's no use in heating the entire thing. The sitting room should be warmer, as that is usually where everyone is. Today is no different. He can hear voices from behind the door, one lower, and one shrill and piercing. Without even going in, he knows who they are. He peeks in anyway.

"I have you now!"

Constance sounds particularly pleased with herself. She fans herself with one hand, the other reaching over to move a piece on the chessboard between them. She is grinning triumphantly at Yuri, as though she has already won the match. It doesn't take much thought for Yuri to move his piece and knock down her queen.

"And I win again," Yuri says, returning her smug tone.

"Oh, you scoundrel! How could I possibly lose?" she asks.

"You're not paying enough attention to the whole board, that's your problem."

The other problem is that Constance sucks at chess. Yuri can't complain; she's the only one who will play with him. Hapi can't be bothered and Balthus can't play anymore without passing out - not that he was. Constance is smart, but her tactics leave much to be desired. He resets the board, but spots a familiar person in the corner of his eye.

"Don't be shy," Yuri says. "I don't bite that hard."

Claude shrugs. "That's a shame. For a big bad wolf, you're not that scary."

Yuri huffs a laugh. He knows that's not Claude's original opinion of him, but he's glad he's comfortable enough now to crack jokes. Yuri leans his jaw in his hand, looking at Claude.

"Do you know how to play chess? If I have to play Constance one more time, I might lose my mind," Yuri says.

Constance gasps, scandalized. "Luckily, I am finished playing with you. I will win against you someday."

With that, she stands up, and she's out the room. Claude takes her place.

"Oh, I'm a little rusty, but I'm sure I can try," Claude says.

That smile of his is the smile of a charlatan. Yuri intends to get that stupid smile off his face.

The board is set, and Claude takes the first move. He leans back, hands behind his head. Despite the easy smile, it does not reach his eyes. Interesting.

"I've been here a couple of weeks now, and I still don't know your name," Claude says.

"You never asked," Yuri says, shrugging.

"Would you tell me if I did?"

Yuri moves a piece. "No."

Claude laughs. It's none of Claude's business; they're not friends. He's a curious squatter who now cannot leave. If Yuri could, he would have kicked him out by now. Unfortunately, he still can't.

"That's a shame. Tell me, are you as beastly inside as you are outside?" Claude asks.

Yuri says nothing. He's told Claude nothing of his curse, and he intends to keep it that way. One hundred days left. His blood is ice cold. He's not sure what he will do.

"You want to ask me who I am, but you break into my home and tell me nothing about you."

"What is there to say?" Claude moves a pawn further up the board before leaning back again. "You know my name. I'm but a simple young man from Leicester. Quiet, unassuming. What more could you want?"

That's bullshit. Claude has never given him a reason to not believe him, but he's given Yuri no reason to believe him at all. He moves a piece to get rid of that pawn.

"The truth," Yuri says.

"Yeah, don't we all?" Claude gives him a pointed look, and Yuri scoffs.

"You don't need to know anything about me."

Claude raises an eyebrow at him. "Sure, but friendship is give and take. You're taking, and I'm giving. Not very fair, is it?"

It's not, but Yuri doesn't really care. They're not friends. They play for a little while longer in silence, the board making soft clacks as pieces move across the board. They exchange glances at each other from the other side, unflinching.

"So, what are you, anyway?" Claude asks.

"A quiet, unassuming beast."

He grins in response. "I very much doubt that."

That grin still doesn't reach Claude's eyes. It's strange. Who is he? Yuri is determined to find out before this is over. The problem is that he must give some of his own information to get some in turn, which is a sacrifice he's not that willing to make. Claude moves a piece closer to Yuri, that wicked grin still plastered on his face. He's up to something.

"So I heard this place was cleared out by monsters. Was that you?" Claude asks.

Yuri shakes his head. "No. It was torn to shreds by the time I got here."

"Huh. Did you come here alone?"

Nosy, isn't he. "Something like that."

Claude looks at him then, the kind of stare that tries to pierce through Yuri. He stares right back at Claude until he seems to yield.

"And the rest of these guys?"

"I know Milady has told you all about her prestigious lineage as the scion of House Nuvelle. Just ignore that she was Count Rowe's court mage. Balthus was set to be the next captain of the guard. And Hapi, well, she's a nobleman's wife who got caught up in all this," Yuri explains.

"You've kidnapped a noble? Wow. I'm surprised his lordship hasn't charged in for his wife yet," Claude says, letting out a low whistle.

"You clearly haven't met Count Hevring, then."

He snorts. "Oh, him. Yeah, that explains a lot."

Claude laughed at that - but why? What does he know of nobility? Perhaps he worked for Hevring for a time, but something tells Yuri that's not it either. He leans his face into his palm, watching Claude like a hunter watches its prey. Yet he does not flinch. Very strange indeed.

"How do you know him?" Yuri asks.

"A friend of a friend of a very good friend," he says with a wink. "It helps to stay connected."

Noble connections, perhaps? Or is Claude trying to throw Yuri off the scent? It's hard to tell, but Yuri says nothing. He simply watches. He'll figure it out in due time.

"You know, you act almost human. What's the story? Annoyed Constance so badly that she turned you into a wolf? Sounds almost like a legend, right?"

He acts almost human, yes. Yuri is anything but human now - not that it matters. He's as monstrous outside as he is on the inside, and that's the point of the spell. He shakes it off. He's not going to tell Claude how close he is to the truth.

"You're very curious, aren't you."

Claude smiles lazily at him. "No less than you, Your Beastliness."

That damn smile. Yuri hates that smile. He tuts, annoyed. And in his moment of distraction, Claude managed to sweep in and take his queen. He winks at Yuri.

"Checkmate."

Yuri's eyes widen. He knows Claude is no fool, but to be bested so easily at chess? No, he's grown complacent by playing with Constance. Perhaps, but it's no excuse. Lesson number one: he must not let his guard down around Claude.

"Well, that's certainly new," Yuri says.

"Not used to losing?" Claude asks.

Yuri leans back. "No. I'm not used to playing someone good. Reset the board. I want another game."

And he wants to know a little more about Claude, though he will offer nothing without Yuri offering anything in turn. And that's fine; they have enough time to get used to each other.

To trust and be trusted, to love and be loved. He doubts he will achieve those with Claude, but he might as well have fun.


	3. Chapter 3

It's growing ever colder on the estate.

It's one of those times where Yuri is glad to be covered in fur, though it'll be more inconvenient when summer arrives. If he sees summer again. It's difficult to know. He doesn't like to think about it, nor does he want to talk about it.

It's the fourth month. Sixty days to go.

To love and be loved. To trust and be trusted. Those are not easy things to achieve, especially not on a short timescale. He doesn't think he'll ever do it.

He counts the roses every day, though it's cold outside. They glow in the dark, a bright reminder of the curse on him and his estate. He had done this to himself, so there's no use beating himself up about it. One of the roses is fading, slowly but surely: today's rose. Eventually, it will fall apart and die. Clawed fingers hold it gently, but he doesn't pick it. Did Dorothea do this on purpose, knowing these were his mother's favourite? Or is this simply what the universe decided? He doesn't want to think that she's so spiteful. He's not so sure.

His options for breaking his curse are limited. What sort of love does the curse call for? Probably any kind. He doesn't trust any of them, so it doesn't matter. He has a minimal amount of trust in Balthus and Constance, enough to keep them on payroll before. It's not enough - or perhaps they don't trust him in turn. Everyone in this world has an agenda. It's hard to find that trust. Yuri is no exception.

"Here you are again," Hapi says, interrupting him from his thoughts.

"Here I am again," he echoes. "Let me guess. Constance and Balthus getting on your nerves?"

"Yeah, but that's not it. I came to check on you." She looks up at the sky. "It's a nice night, but it's cold. Don't stay out here forever."

Yuri doesn't look at her. His eyes are on those roses, never leaving. He tries to cross his arms, but it feels unnatural. He will never get used to this body of his. Instead, he sits a hand on his hip.

"Are things going okay? You know, with what's-his-face," Hapi asks. "I wanna go home eventually."

Yuri scoffs. "And you think he's going to save us?"

Hapi hums, tucking her hands into her sleeves. "I don't think he's a prince charming, come to save the day. But I think he's just like you."

"Yeah? Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"A comment." Hapi looks over at Yuri from the corner of her eye. "You should give him more of a chance, especially because we're stuck here anyway. You might as well oh, I don't know, talk to the people you're stuck with."

Her tone may be dry, but she's got a point. Yuri can count their conversations on one hand: for the most part, he's been ignoring Claude. Why would he talk to him? He seems to be getting along just fine with the others, and he's not a babysitter.

"You know, for a count, you're pretty antisocial," she says.

"I don't know if I can really call myself that anymore."

Even if he magically turned back into a human, what then? Ashe won't cede the land back to him; any sensible lord wouldn't. Yuri sure as hell wouldn't. He's not sure what he'll do then. Should he fight for his land back? He sighs, shaking his head.

"You're overthinking it, and missing my point completely. Look, I'm just saying that if you tried a little harder, you might at least make a friend out of it. It's a little less miserable than looking at flowers until you die."

And maybe she's right. He laughs again, bitter.

"You're only encouraging this because you want to go home."

"Yeah, but you don't wanna be here forever, either. None of us do. If you can make a friend, then, I dunno. Maybe we'll get somewhere." She stretches, holding her arms behind her. "Just think about it."

It's an idea worth exploring, if nothing else. He nods.

"We'll see."

"Well, even if nothing happens, at least you'll make a new friend out of it." She takes a step back. "Just think about it."

He stares down at the roses. Can he even make it in sixty days? Only time will tell.

***

The manor is huge.

Without the beast around - or perhaps he's lurking in the shadows - Claude is left with plenty of time to explore the manor. There are mysteries to uncover about this place: after all, he's the first person who's been allowed in for months. He wants to know what happened, and the beast-lord of Rowe isn't offering any clues.

The only places that are off limits were the rooms for the other three. That's fine; whatever information he wants out of them, he's sure he could simply ask. It didn't stop Claude from trying to break in, and from ending up caught by one of Constance's charms. He learns quickly not to try that again, and decides instead to focus on the rest of the manor. None of them are interesting to him, not like the beast is.

He could easily see dozens of servants milling about this place, but there's no one. It's all a distant echo now. Claude never thought that a manor could be so empty, so  _ lonely _ . He likes his solitude as much as the next person, but even this is too much. It's dead, lifeless, and he can hear Balthus recount some tale across the other side of the manor. Sure, that man is loud, but come on. All it accomplishes is making Claude feel less and less at ease. He feels lonely in this place, a rare and new feeling for him.

The Count's office is locked, though Claude could probably pick the lock. Now, if he knew how to lock pick, he would be set. So many secrets to unlock, so little time. The problem is, if Claude presses too much, the beast might kill him. Trying to get his trust proves fruitless. Is Claude really going to die here with those four as company? Please, hand him a blade already.

He enters the foyer, just as empty as the rest of the manor. At the top of the steps, right before they split off, there's a large portrait hanging on the wall. He's never noticed this before. The previous Count Rowe stands beside his late wife. Her greying violet hair spills over her shoulders, and her smile lights up her eyes. They each have a hand on the young man between them, with vibrant purple hair and a more subdued smile than his mother. The look he gives Claude is guarded, even in the painting. That young man must be - or rather, must have been - the current Count. This was painted two years ago, according to the caption, before House Rowe all but collapsed.

"I can't take my eyes off you for two minutes, can I."

Claude knows that voice. He holds his hands up as he turns, before placing them on the back of his head. "Guilty as charged. But this time, I'm just wandering across my prison. I'm not doing anything wrong, am I?"

The beast huffs. He stands beside Claude, admiring the painting with an expression he can't place. Claude looks back at it.

"So, do you know the Count and his family?" he asks.

"I know  _ of  _ them," the beast says. "Count Rowe, his wife Ida, and her kid, Yuri."

His voice gives nothing away, but that look in his eye is strange. Claude can't stop looking at him.

"Rowe and his wife died of disease, yeah? What happened to the kid?"

"The kid," the wolf scoffs bitterly. "The kid was never meant to be a noble. Maybe he just ran away when the opportunity presented itself. What a kind birthday present to himself, leaving it all behind and starting again."

"You speak from experience?"

He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter if I do."

The beast is so tense around him. He's like a statue, and if it wasn't for the look in those too-human eyes, Claude might have thought he actually was a statue. He's endlessly fascinating. That's how Claude ends up somewhat drawn to him, he thinks. He wonders if this is some part of a scheme that ends in the wolf eating him whole, but he's not sure. The wolf seems too human for that.

A strange thought crosses Claude's mind. He pushes it away for the moment.

"Poor kid, having all that responsibility thrown at him outta nowhere," Claude says.

He catches the way the beast's eyes narrow. "He was twenty-four when he disappeared."

"Still a kid. Still a lot of work."

The beast sighs, but says nothing else. Claude keeps looking at him from the corner of his eye. He gives very little away, but what he does give forms a silly theory in his mind.

"You don't get out much, so I bet you don't know that technically, this is all Gaspard territory now," Claude says, testing the waters he isn't sure are there.

"Heh. I never thought Ashe would have it in him."

"Oh, so you know of the esteemed Lord Gaspard?"

The beast snorts. "Esteemed. He's just some kid who got adopted by a minor noble, and was unlucky enough to have both his adoptive father and his older brother die at once."

Claude grits his teeth. "Yikes. Not a lot of luck in Faerghus."

No, there isn't. He smiles all the same, a lazy smile that he's practiced over the years. How many Faerghus nobles are commoners in tailored suits? Who knows.

"You never answered my question."

"Oh, you're right," the wolf says. "I didn't."

He looks at Claude, violet eyes narrowed at him, and he realises the beast doesn't have to say anything at all.

"What's that look for?" he asks.

"What look? Can't a man admire another wolf-man?"

Claude is fairly sure he's about to die from the scoff he gets in response. He doesn't. Instead, the best scoffs and walks away, leaving Claude to his business. He looks at the painting, with two familiar pairs of eyes looking at him.

How about that.

***

The Red Wolf Moon gives way to the Ethereal Moon.

It's ice cold outside. Not even Yuri wants to go out there and mope. Being the only one used to the freezing Faerghus temperature - not to mention his natural insulation - he's faring much better than the others. Constance has made her home by the fire, along with Hapi, and neither of them will move. At this rate, they're going to slow roast, but the joke falls flat when Yuri looks like a monster who would eat them. He never thought he would miss his humanity that much.

Balthus is faring better than those two, though he complains that, for once in his life, he must wear some kind of shirt. Yuri rolls his eyes at him, but largely leaves him to it. He won't die if he's covered up.

Claude, on the other hand, remains as chipper as ever. He's wearing enough layers that Yuri is convinced he can hardly move, but at least he's content, bundled up in a corner on one of the sofas. He looks undeniably cosy with his book. It's almost cute.

"Welcome to Faerghus, friend. You'll get used to the cold eventually," Yuri says, looking down at him.

"Oh? Offering to keep me warm?" Claude says, smiling that smile that Yuri has come to distrust.

Yuri tilts his head. "I've been told I'm a good cuddler."

Claude lets out an uncomfortable laugh, before going back to his book. Straight men. Yuri sits down on the sofa, but the moment his ass makes contact with the fabric, Constance turns around.

"What are our plans for this year's Saint Seiros celebrations?" she asks.

"You can't be serious," Yuri scoffs. "Are we really going to have a party with the five of us? And this isn't what Saint Seiros Day is about."

Claude pretends he's reading, but he's stopped flipping the pages. Yuri pretends he doesn't notice.

"And whyever not? You might wish to avoid a party at any opportunity, but Saint Seiros Day is important."

"Any excuse for a party, more like," Hapi says.

"And as it is only the five of us, it should be more intimate, no? More of a gathering rather than a party," Constance adds.

"So, what we're doing right now."

"Must you be so miserable? There will be music, and dancing, and-"

Claude puts his book down. "Dancing, huh?"

There it is, Claude's full attention. Yuri leans his arm onto the arm of the sofa, leaning his jaw in his palm.

"Do you know how to dance?" Yuri asks.

"Stole the words right out of my mouth," Claude says. "Now I'd love to see you dance."

It's not a good idea. The last party this place held, a curse fell upon everyone here. Unless that's exactly what Constance's gambit is. She's grinning at him like she's got a plan, and those plans always end in disaster for someone.

"Hapi and I will arrange everything!"

"Why me? Go ask B. He lives for that stuff."

"Then I shall. We shall make arrangements for the day."

And just like that, Constance is out of the room. Hapi lays down, taking up all the space on the rug in front of the fire. She's like a cat, comfortable in her little space. She's easy to please.

"I guess telling her no does nothing," Claude says.

"It's Constance. She'll do what she wants, damn the consequences."

Claude laughs at that. He closes his book and puts it down. It's a book on botany of all things, one of those books that his mother liked. An odd choice for someone like Claude. Yuri never thought of him as a flower man, but then again, there is little else to do here.

"So tell me, Your Beastliness, can someone like you even dance?" Claude asks again.

"You're awfully curious," Yuri says. "I guess I'll have to show you on the night."

"Oh, so you'll be taking part?" Claude asks.

Not a chance. But, hell, whatever makes Claude stops talking.

"Sure," Yuri says.

Claude grins at him. "Then I can't wait."

Yuri, on the other hand, is dreading it. Yet when he looks at Claude, he can't help but wonder what kind of a dancer he would be. He supposes he will never find out.

***

It's the beginning of the Ethereal Moon, and Yuri has never looked less forward to Saint Seiros Day.

Yuri remembers when he was younger, when he and his mother would take this day to pray to the goddess. They would attend mass together and take part in the festivities. It's not his first Saint Seiros Day without her, so the idea isn't so raw to him. They've never held festivities in the manor. And yet, this year, no matter how much Yuri insists, they're throwing a ball.

It's not so much a ball as it is a gathering between people who can sort of stand each other. Can they call it even a party with four people? Well, it's up to them. Yuri doesn't get involved.

He peeks into the ballroom once, and he sees Claude and Constance talking. He offers his help, but he is soon rejected when Constance finds out he's unable to use magic. The snort of a laugh that comes out of Yuri catches their attention, and he slips out the door. It's not long before he hears footsteps behind him.

"And I thought you were avoiding the party," Claude says.

"I never said I was avoiding it." Yuri turns to face him. "But you're really into the idea, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say  _ really _ into it, but you're still coming, right?"

Yuri snorts. He turns on his heel and keeps walking, but Claude is persistent. He chases after Yuri, and is quick to catch up with him. Not that Yuri was trying to get away from him. Claude is at his elbow now, and Yuri shakes his head. He's like a puppy one cannot shake off, chewing at his ankles. It's a shame that Yuri is the dog in this.

"I've thought about it. The spotlight isn't my thing," Yuri says.

Claude looks up at him curiously. "And that's the only reason you're not going?"

"What are you implying?"

"That you can't dance and you're embarrassed."

Can't dance. Now, that's rich. That's never been a problem; he knew how to dance before he had even arrived in Rowe. The idea that he can't dance is hilarious. Actually, in this body, he probably can't, but still. He clicks his tongue, and Claude steps in front of him.

"You can't be that bad," he says. He looks around, and that easy smile is back. "It's just us."

Constance is in the ballroom, Hapi is watching her, and who knows where Balthus is. He's probably using heavy objects in the manor as weights. That's how things seem to have been for the past few months.

"Yeah, we're alone. So?"

"So, if you wanted to practice, I'm here. C'mon, I'm curious. Even for a wolf, you can't dance  _ that _ badly."

Claude holds out his hand. The corridor is wide enough that they could waltz in here, if they really wanted to. The invitation is there. Yuri isn't sure what to do. A part of him wants to take his hand, pull himself closer to Claude. His gut clenches at the thought. He doesn't like the feeling he gets. Yuri rolls his eyes.

"Don't worry about me," he says coolly. "I don't need dance lessons. I think you're just trying to get a dance out of me."

The smile falters, and Yuri swears Claude's cheeks tint pink. "Hah, uh- guilty as charged."

He holds his hands up in surrender, and that practiced smile comes back like a defence mechanism. What does that smile hide? Apart from his strange attraction (or lack thereof) to men. If they had more time, Yuri would love to pick apart those little secrets. He doesn't. What a shame. Yuri walks past him, casting a look over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll get your dance. Constance is very much available. And then there's Hapi," Yuri says.

He can't explain the way Claude's face falls, just for a moment. It's like he's said something wrong, but he can't figure out what.

"Or there's Balthus, if that's more your thing," he adds. "But I wouldn't if I were you."

Claude laughs, the sound more surprised than a genuine laugh. Yuri looks ahead, and keeps going. This time, Claude doesn't follow. Good: he's not willing to keep pushing him away. If he'd asked one more time, perhaps Yuri would have cracked. He doesn't ask, and Yuri doesn't stop.

He wonders what would have happened if he'd stopped. He doesn't think about it for long.

***

The eleventh of the Garland Moon has finally arrived: Saint Seiros Day.

Yuri wants to hide in his office all day, but he doesn't. He avoids Constance, though her excitement can be heard no matter where he is. He could be all the way in Fódlan's Throat and he would still hear her. This place has been missing that sort of refinement, the air of nobility that Yuri so hated. Hapi is looking forward to the idea of a buffet. Balthus, meanwhile, is looking forward to showing off his dance moves. Perhaps he'll find a dancing partner in Claude.

Yuri still doesn't plan on going. No, he's finally free of the trappings of nobility. Why in the world would he waste that one advantage being a wolf has?

As the day shifts into the evening, Yuri realises that it won't be long before the party begins. Instead of hanging around where he could be easily found, he heads to the library to fetch a book or two, and heads off to his room. He sees Balthus in passing, but rushes off before Balthus can even  _ think _ of inviting Yuri to the evening's festivities. This is their party, not his.

The moment his door is closed, he relaxes. He's looking forward to an evening to himself, reading in bed and spending time in quiet contemplation. He places the books on his bedside table and takes off his day clothes, before reaching for his pyjamas. There's little need in clothing, but it makes him feel slightly human. Plus, it makes him less aware of the silvery fur all over his body, and as long as he doesn't see it, for a little while, he can pretend.

His peace lasts all of five minutes, before there's a knock at his door. He sighs harshly.

"I hope you are not planning on staying in your room all night," Constance warns from the other side. She puts her hand on the door handle, and Yuri clicks his tongue.

"Don't come in, I'm naked."

She opens the door and screeches, only to be met with, well, a naked Yuri. Fur covers it all, though she averts her gaze for a moment until she remembers that fact. She scowls at him.

"Don't give me that! I am no fool," she says.

"Yeah, I know. You are Constance von Nuvelle, and- what are you doing?"

She moves over to his dresser and swipes his hairbrush. "Aiding you in looking presentable for the evening. Now, sit. I will brush you."

"One, I'm not your pet, and two, I thought I said I had no interest in what you four do."

Constance grabs him by the arm and forces him to sit. At least she's gentle with the brush, though he expected her to tear out his fur. He's glad she hasn't, but things could change. With the face she's pulling in the mirror, that could easily change.

"And what will you do? Sit here and sulk for the rest of the evening. I think not," she says.

"I think it's my choice."

There's not a lot that Yuri has control over anymore. His life is in tatters. If he can control something, even if that something is a party he won't attend, he'll take it. Constance tugs on his fur, and he yelps in pain.

"I think you are purposefully excluding yourself."

"So?"

"Do you not hear yourself? Have you grown so complacent in your misery?"

Normally, her nagging would be a source of amusement. Right now, her voice goes right through him like a siren. He wants her to go away, but knowing Constance, she'll set fire to his fur, and then he really will be naked.

"How long?" she asks.

He doesn't need to ask what she means. He sighs harshly. "Three weeks."

"Three weeks!" she yelps. "Three weeks left, and we do not yet know what may happen at the end. Yet you would rather stay here and waste away rather than-"

"Rather than what?"

Constance huffs. "Rather than take a chance."

She looks at him through the mirror, those light purple eyes of hers piercing. She's the annoying little sister that he never wanted and got anyway. No matter how much he pushed and pushed, Constance would always be there for him. How strange of her.

Take a chance. He doesn't need to ask her what she means, either. He stares at his own reflection. Yuri's always been pretty and charming, but half the charm is cut off when he doesn't have his looks. He misses his hair and his pretty face. He misses his easy charm. He misses himself more than he can ever explain.

Looking at himself now, he's not sure who Yuri ever really was.

"I don't play my hand unless my victory is assured. You know that," Yuri says.

"And what, pray tell, do you think you have to lose? Perhaps another uncomfortable three weeks with him, and the rest of us, I suppose."

An awkward twenty three days, actually. Not that Yuri has been counting. What exactly does Yuri think will happen tonight? Things can't get any worse. Still, he doesn't want to go. Constance clicks her tongue.

"Ugh! Fine! Be difficult. There is an outfit waiting in your wardrobe, and we will be waiting in the hall for you."

She puts the brush down and leaves the room. Just like that, Yuri is alone again. Once he's alone, he touches his fur. It's soft in places he never would have been able to reach by himself, and had Constance stuck around, he may have even thanked her. He gets up and goes to his wardrobe; as promised, there is an outfit he doesn't recognise in there. It's the perfect size. He can only imagine this is Constance's meddling, as is the rest of the evening. He shakes his head and touches the fabric. It's a nice purple, a soft colour.

He won't go, but it won't hurt to try on the outfit.

It fits so perfectly, magically tailored to fit his strange body. For a moment, he feels almost normal - almost human, with normal hopes and dreams. He smooths out the fabric. If only he was normal.

Someone knocks on his door. It's soft, so it's not Balthus. Constance stormed off in a huff, so it leaves only one person: Hapi. It's not like her to come to his room, though. He opens the door, but it's not Hapi that's waiting for him.

"And here Constance told me not to expect you to be dressed," Claude says.

He's dressed in a formal get-up of his own, this garish gold colour that has no business suiting another human. Yet it suits him perfectly. His hair is slicked back, his facial hair neatly trimmed. He's made an effort. That kind of effort doesn't suit someone like Claude, and yet it does. Yuri doesn't quite know what to say. He leans a hand on his hip.

"What do you want?" Yuri asks.

"I've come to ask Your Beastliness to the grand ball happening in his own home. It feels like the courteous thing to do."

He smiles, holding out his hand to Yuri. He doesn't want to go. The best thing about Rowe falling was the fact he would never have to attend another ball in his life. He wants to say no and slam the door in Claude's face. Perhaps if it had been Balthus at the door, that's exactly what he would have done. Something about Claude makes him pause, however.

"Did Constance tell you to fetch me?"

"Constance told me to leave you alone, actually. But I'm trying my luck anyway. Since you're already dressed, you knew I would come, didn't you?"

No. Honestly, he didn't. He doesn't say anything. He steps out of his room, looping his arm in Claude's. He scoffs.

"Show me a good time, pigeon."

Claude looks at him curiously. "Pigeon?"

"Yeah. A pest that got into my home and flaps about nothing. It feels right."

He snorts. "You're a strange guy."

The ballroom is empty. Before, there would have been countless nobles and servants around, chatting over champagne flutes and laughing at bad jokes. There would be couples dancing to the music, acting like nothing in the world mattered other than this. All that remains today is Balthus, Hapi and Constance, the latter of which appears to be attempting something. Constance trying to do something seems to be all she does lately. The other two provide no assistance, but they're dressed nicely for the occasion, which is all the assistance they're willing to extend.

Constance yelps as a horrible screech fills the ballroom, as though someone had picked up a violin for the first time and is trying to play it. She growls, before trying again. A wave of her hand - or several, and the room falls to silence as they all watch her. Finally, the soft sound of string instruments fills the room. Constance turns around, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Behold my talents! I told you that I could-" She turns her attention to Yuri and Claude. "How did you get him out of his room?"

"I think he likes me," Claude jokes.

Yuri unlinks their arms. "So all we get is music?"

"Hmph. You doubt my abilities?"

With another wave of her hand, decorations appear along the room, soft green banners for Saint Seiros day hanging from the ceiling. Tables that were once cleared are now filled with food, sweet and savoury. Her triumphant grin only widens.

"Well?" she asks.

Hapi is already heading over to the tables. "Perfect. Thanks, Coco."

"Not you!"

"I've gotta admit, you've outdone yourself, Milady," Yuri says. "Yeah. This is a party."

Constance claps her hands together. "Wonderful! Let us proceed with the festivities!"

This isn't at all what Saint Seiros Day is meant to be about. It's meant to be about solemn prayer and reflection. However, that can come later, when their time grows shorter and Yuri is left praying to the Goddess for salvation that will never come. Now, he wants to have fun.

Yuri pulls Constance in for a dance, who squeaks when he grabs her. The height difference makes things difficult, but they manage somehow. She's a good dancer, laughing as he twirls her. It's nice seeing her like this, for once. When one song ends, they switch partners, and Yuri is left to dance with Balthus. He's surprisingly good, despite his size. At least there's only an inch or so between them, which makes for a much more comfortable dance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuri sees Claude with Constance. He's whispering in her ear, and he can hear her scandalised gasp from the other side of the room.

"My eyes are over here, pal," Balthus says. "Something on your mind?"

His eyes don't leave the pair. "Something like that."

"Oh, I know that look." Yuri looks back at him just in time to catch him grin. "I've known you since you got here. C'mon, tell me all about it."

"There's nothing to tell," Yuri says.

"Live a little, yeah? Just let yourself feel something sometimes. It's good for you."

Just let himself feel. Feel what, exactly? There's nothing to feel. Yet he finds himself constantly looking back at them, an awful feeling in his chest. He has to stop staring. Balthus spins them around, and Yuri can no longer see them.

"Just don't stare. Wolf or not, that's creepy."

"I'm not staring," Yuri argues, knowing damn well that he was.

"Man, you're thinking too much about it." Balthus laughs. "Deep down, you're still you, pal."

How does Balthus not see that this is a problem? Yuri is still Yuri, no matter what. All he ever had is his charm and, by extension, his looks. Now he doesn't even have that. The song ends, and Balthus pulls away. Before Yuri can ask him for a second dance, there's a tap on his arm.

"Care for a dance?" Claude asks, holding out his hand.

Yuri places his hand in his. "Why not."

He lets Claude take the lead, despite the height difference. He wraps an arm around Claude's shoulder as he places a hand on Yuri's waist. It's comfortable, even though Claude is much shorter. It's not like it was with Balthus, but it's nice. Their bodies are close as they waltz to the music.

"You know, I've never danced with a…" Claude looks up at him.

"Wolf man?"

"Just a man, but I guess wolf people in general, too. It's my first time, so be gentle," he coos.

"Aw, don't worry. I'm very good," Yuri says, his voice low and flirtatious.

The heat colours Claude's face into a vivid red, and Yuri wants to laugh. Cute. Claude clears his throat, quickly composing himself.

"You know, if you don't want me to flirt, I can stop at any time," he says.

"No!" Claude yelps. "No. I'm not used to a man's attention, that's all."

"Is that a bad thing?"

He pauses for a moment, before shaking his head. "From you? No."

Does Yuri still have charm left in him, or is Claude simply trying to flirt back.  _ You're thinking too much about it _ , Balthus' voice reminds him. He's right. There's no harm in flirting without it going anywhere. With the way things are, they can't go beyond flirting, anyway.

"Good. I quite like watching you flap like a pigeon when I try," Yuri says.

"It's not every day a wolf tries to bed me. And I'm still not sure you don't still want to eat me," he jokes.

"Maybe I still do. Are you sure you want to take that chance?"

Claude smiles up at him. "So far, so good. You wouldn't hurt me, right?"

That smile is different. There's a shine in his eyes, bright and beautiful. Yuri has never seen it before. For a moment, he's stunned into silence, those beautiful green eyes staring up at him. And here he thought he was immune to the charms of a fellow trickster. His heart leaps at the sight.

Fuck.  _ Fuck _ . This shouldn't be happening.

Yuri is the first to break eye contact. He looks around them; Balthus has managed to talk Constance into a dance, and is trying to stop her from attacking Hapi for the way she's eating. Balthus catches his eye and grins at him, as if to assure him that everything is fine. Is it fine? He lets out a slow, shaky breath. This all feels new.

"For someone who makes fun of me for flapping, you're a flighty little bird yourself," Claude says, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Isn't that right, Yuri?"

Yuri stops, and Claude's amusement only grows. So he knows. It's not exactly a secret, but he didn't think he would ever tell Claude. Yuri thought he would mind more about him finding out, but he doesn't. Not at all.

"And that confirms it all for me," Claude says. "I had a feeling, but it's good to know I was right."

Yuri huffs. "Cheeky. You got it out of me one way or another. So, how did you figure it out?"

"You told me, in your own way." Claude chuckles. "Does it matter? Come on, dance with me."

As if on cue, the song changes, but neither of them are in any hurry to switch partners. Yuri allows himself to be led into the dance again, moving with the music. Claude's body is warm against his own. Maybe just this once, it's okay to relax with someone else for a little while.

"So now that you know," Yuri says, "is anything different?"

"Not at all," Claude says.

Nothing is different, he says, but it feels different. It feels like the first snowdrops of spring blooming in the deepest parts of his chest. For the first time, in a long time, he feels like there's some kind of hope, some kind of ending to this curse. Even if there isn't, at the very least, they have each other. Wherever that may lead.

They stay like this for a while, falling into the rhythm of the music. All Yuri can focus on is Claude and that smile of his, the one that lights up the room more than any amount of sconces. And if things were different, this is where he would have taken that chance. He would have taken Claude's face in his cheek and leaned in. Yuri would have him, until they're both dizzy and their lips are swollen. Sadly, this is here and now.

Here and now, Yuri can't. And he shouldn't.

It's Claude that takes a leap. He pulls himself closer, until his head is resting on Yuri's chest. His arm is loosely draped around his waist, his other hand holding Yuri's. He hums, content, closing his eyes. Clearly he's no longer afraid of the big, bad wolf. He has no reason to be. Their dancing turns more into swaying, and Yuri rests his head on top of Claude's head.

The others are gone. He doesn't know when they've vanished, but they have. He doesn't care, either. He'd much rather relax, with Claude's body against his own. He's had his fair share of people pressed against him while dancing, but it's different. It's so, so different. It feels right in a way that it never has before, clicking in places he didn't know could click together. He closes his eyes, and lets himself feel, just for a moment.

Nothing in the world matters. Nothing but each other. The depths of his heart have begun to thaw, and he doesn't mind one bit.


	4. Chapter 4

Whatever happened that night, they don't tell the other three.

There's a strange air hanging over the estate. Yuri is off, like he's waiting for something to happen but it has not yet happened. Did he expect Claude to kill him that night? He's not sure, but the melancholy is hanging over him, thick and heavy. Yuri doesn't talk about it, but Claude doesn't expect him to. Yuri is carefully guarded. Whatever it is that's going on, Claude will find out in due time, one way or the other.

Still, he wishes they could talk about it. Things feel complicated now. It's not just because Yuri is a man - though that doesn't help - but because he's not human. Not on the outside, at least. Claude isn't an idiot, he knows there's some sort of curse here. He simply hasn't figured out the details of the curse, but he's been investigating that by himself.

Though they don't talk, they spend plenty of time together over the coming days. They sit together, reading quietly. It's peaceful. Claude has a research project of his own, and if Yuri has figured him out by now, he hasn't said. He's an odd man, even if he is not strictly a man. Perhaps that's part of the draw, the fact that Claude can pretend he's not a man. No, but he has to contend with the fact that Yuri is a monster instead. It's all very complicated, and he'd rather not think about it.

And yet, he knows Hilda would only laugh at him if she knew. He wonders if she's even noticed that he's gone.

He's aware of how the others stare at him and Yuri. It's like they're waiting for something to happen and he supposes that, in part, it's what Claude is waiting for too. He's not making that move: it's up to Yuri now. If nothing happens, then nothing happens, but he truly thought they had shared something that night. And yet, neither of them talk about it. He doesn't think that they need to either, not unless they're going to do something about it.

There's something nice about sitting on the sofa with Yuri, side by side, each engrossed in different books. Claude has switched topics from regular botany to magical botany, though magic has never been his specialty. Sure, he knows how to use plants and poisons in the traditional sense, but their magical application goes over his head. He wishes Lysithea were here, or even Lorenz. As much of a headache the latter is, he might be able to dazzle Claude with his knowledge on plants.

He flicks to the next page, and freezes.

Roses. Their luminescence can't be captured on paper, but he knows these are the same ones Yuri has in his garden - everoses. They're the result of a curse, that much he does know. They're a timer: when the last rose dies, it's over. He looks over at Yuri, who's too focused in his book to notice. Or he doesn't comment. Either way, it's a win for Claude. He can guess what happened, but not why. If he can count the roses, he can figure out how long they have left. This isn't just about Yuri; it's about all five of them. He closes his book.

"I'm gonna take a walk," he says.

"Don't go anywhere you shouldn't."

Claude snorts. "You really don't believe in me."

He's not going to go anywhere he's not supposed to. Claude is going to find answers, one way or another.

Most of the people in this estate are reserved people - Claude included. It's a safe way to be, but it means he won't get any answers. Constance isn't reserved, not by any means, but she keeps her secrets close to her chest. There is one person who is neither reserved nor secretive, one man he could trust to tell the truth.

"Balthus," Claude says. "Are you busy?"

Balthus is decidedly not busy. He's by himself, probably about to head to the training grounds, but stops when he hears his name. He turns around.

"What's up, pal?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something. Just the two of us."

Balthus holds up his hands. "Whatever Constance told you-"

"No! But that sounds like a good story, and you should tell me about it later. Right now, my problem is over six foot tall and hairy."

There's a moment where Balthus goes silent, and for a moment, Claude thinks he might faint. Right - don't make Balthus think. Claude braces himself, but Balthus doesn't fall, much to his relief.

"Sure, pal. We'll go to my room, yeah?"

Balthus' room is closer to Yuri's room than Claude would have liked, but as far as he knows, Yuri is still in the sitting room, reading. He hopes things stay that way, but. Balthus sits down in a chair in his room, gesturing for Claude to take the adjacent chair. With a flick of his wrist, the fire comes to life.

Is Claude the only person in this manor that can't use magic?

It's warm in his room, and tidier than he expected. Claude isn't sure what he expected: clothes strewn about and half-eaten food, maybe. The bed isn't made, but that's as bad as it gets. How interesting. He's not as dirty as Claude imagined.

"So, I wanted to ask you: how long have you known Yuri?" Claude asks. "You guys seem pretty close."

"We both got here at the same time. I joined the knights of Rowe while trying to run from the law, and then a little while later, in comes this kid and his mother, right? Turns out that the count's new wife and kid. Yuri was twelve or something at the time, so I took the kid under my wing, and we've been pals ever since."

And if Claude is right, then Yuri is around twenty-four by now. He's been friends with Balthus for around half of his life. This means this kind, simple man is privy to all sorts of information. Very, very interesting. Claude hums in thought.

"You made friends with a kid?"

"Well, kinda. You know, he reminded me of my little brother, so I got attached kinda quick," Balthus says with a fond smile.

It's hard to imagine Yuri as a kid. The image Claude has in his mind is of the beast that's taller than even Balthus, or the young man with a mysterious smile in a painting. Appearances can be deceiving. Claude leans back in his seat.

"So you know him better than anyone," Claude says.

"Heh. Yeah, I guess I do." Why does that sound like this is the first time Balthus has ever considered that? "Well, me or his ex, I guess."

That catches Claude's attention. "Oh yeah? I didn't know about this."

"Really? I thought everyone knew." Balthus leans forward. "You know Dorothea the songstress, yeah? They met while her opera company was touring Faerghus last summer. Think he asked her to marry him real quick after that."

So that's what happened. He'd heard that Dorothea had left a while ago, but the opera was never something that interested Claude. Hilda, on the other hand, was devastated. All he knew was that she had gotten engaged to a young lord in Faerghus. But she's not here - not unless Constance or Hapi are secretly Dorothea in disguise. Neither of them seem to be the songstress type.

"A quick engagement. I take it that went well," Claude says.

"For a little while, yeah, it was alright. They seemed happy enough. Problem with Yuri is, he doesn't let anyone in," Balthus explains. "When the cracks started to show, they were so big I could put my fist through ‘em."

An interesting moment to brag, but it's Balthus. Claude shouldn't be so surprised by anything he does. He leans forward, elbows on his knees. He smiles up at Balthus, the kind of smile he knows disarms most folk.

"Then what happened? She left him?"

"That's the thing, pal. She didn't just leave. She's the reason we're all trapped." Balthus frowns. "Thing with Yuri is, he never loved her. Not like she needed to be. A lady like her, she needs both love and money. Yuri's a lot of things, but emotionally available ain't one of them."

Claude clenches his fists instinctively, and watches Balthus, a silent cue for him to keep going. A thought whispers in his ear, but he would rather ignore it for now.

"Last thing she said to him was that until he can love someone else, he'll always be that beast," Balthus says. "I don't know why we're trapped with him, but it makes my life a little easier. Kinda miss fighting, though. My fists are itching for a good fight."

Claude knows his smile has become forced. Balthus doesn't seem to pick up on it. He's so wonderfully simple. The whisper of his thoughts grows louder, but he says nothing, simply watches Balthus. Did that night mean anything to Yuri? No, he shouldn't think about it.

"Yuri's a good guy, yeah?" Balthus says, almost like an afterthought. "I just gotta wonder: can a guy like him even love?"

"What do you mean?" Claude asks.

All attempts at a cheery tone are long gone now. All he wants is answers, even if it'll hurt to hear. Balthus looks at him strangely: even he picks up on the shift of his voice.

"I've known him for a long time. I've seen what he's like with guys, with ladies - he'll flirt and play with their hearts until he gets what he wants."

"And what he wants is to be human," Claude says without thinking.

"Huh? Well, yeah, right now it is. Why do you-"

Balthus doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence before Claude is gone, slamming the door behind him. Yuri can only be cured by love. That is what this has all been about in reality: it's been a long con to make Claude feel something for him. The problem is, of course, that Yuri needs to love him too. Claude can't help the bitter laugh that comes out of him as realisation takes hold. Yuri wasn't interested. Claude was a means to an end.

Except there's only one flaw with Yuri's plan it seems. He can't turn back, because he doesn't love Claude.

Claude fell for it, for every word and every moment they had together. He's an idiot.

***

The next morning, there's a note slipped under Yuri's door. Strange. He picks up the piece of paper with a hum.

_ Meet me in the garden. We have something to talk about. _

_ \- C _

He already knows the C does not stand for Constance. She would never bother with a note, instead insisting on barging in and airing out her grievances. Even if she did write a note, it would be in elegant handwriting, the language more flowery, and her full name signed at the bottom, as if any of them could forget Constance von Nuvelle.

But that leaves only one question - why does Claude want to meet in the garden? He folds up the note and leaves it on his dresser, before leaving his room.

There's an atmosphere in the manor this morning. Even Constance isn't so loud, though she's chatting to Balthus about something. She gasps, but claps a hand over her mouth when she sees Yuri. He stares at her, but she waves with the biggest, fakest smile Yuri has ever seen. What are they plotting? It's nowhere near any of their birthdays - is it? When are Claude and Hapi's birthdays? Whatever she's planning doesn't matter. Yuri will do what he does best: ignoring the hell out of his staff.

It's the nineteenth of the Guardian Moon, and the temperature reminds him of that. The snow has not left the gardens, a frozen blanket that has snuffed out most of the life outside. Even through his fur, Yuri feels the cold. He doesn't need to ask where Claude might be: he gets the feeling he knows where he'll be. Why, he doesn't know, but he can sense it. He moves through the gardens, right to the back, where he sees a figure standing before his roses. He sighs as he gets closer. Whatever Claude wants, it can't be good if they're here.

"Something tells me you're not just after a botany lesson," Yuri says, a hand on his hip.

"Nah, I've done my own research." Claude grins up at him with a wink. The flirting, for once, does not put Yuri at ease. "Everoses, right? They're the result of a nasty curse, and a timer. These things don't die, come storm or frost. Not unless someone tears the bush apart or someone plucks the flowers."

"Yeah, that's right. I told you that when you took one of them."

Claude laughs, sardonic. "When the last one dies, time's up. And you have fifteen left."

Yuri furrows his brow. As if he could forget how long he has. As if he hasn't been counting down the remaining days. As if he, of all people, didn't know any of this. There's a point behind all of this.

"And despite your best efforts, you're still you." Claude's false humour dies. "Why is that, exactly?"

"Alright. Someone told you about the curse, didn't they?"

"Would you have told me if I asked?"

Yuri pauses. "No."

Claude scoffs. It's none of his business; Yuri didn't want to put that sort of pressure on a friend.  _ Friend  _ is the closest term he has for what they have but it doesn't feel right. Especially now, when it feels like there's a hidden accusation behind those words.

"What do you want?" he asks, his patience thin.

"The truth," Claude coos. "But I guess I already have that, don't I? I know what you are. I'm starting to see why that songstress turned you into a wolf."

Yuri's eyes widen for a moment, before he composes himself and narrows them. "Let me guess: I'm just as beastly on the outside as I am on the inside," Yuri spits. "Out with it already. What did I do?"

"I know what you've been trying to pull." Claude says, his tone dark. "All that hot-and-cold stuff? Trying to seem so mysterious and alluring? Come on, it's the oldest trick in the book, and somehow I still fell for it."

Yuri can't help the barked laugh that escapes from him, short and sharp. "You think I've been manipulating you. Sure, staying away from you is manipulation. Alright, you believe whatever you want to believe."

"You're still you because you can't care about anyone but yourself."

Yuri turns silent. He has no idea what to say to that. His mouth falls open. It's not the first time he's heard something like that before, but it's different coming out of Claude, of all people. Yuri stands up straighter, using that height difference to his advantage. The walls of his heart harden back up, cold as ever. He stays nothing. He doesn't have anything else to say.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Claude asks, his voice so quiet now.

There's something beneath those words, something that Yuri can't quite pinpoint. Whatever Claude has heard about Yuri, he doesn't like what he's heard. Who told him  _ what _ ? Hapi doesn't have much to say. Constance's gripes are small and inconsequential, and she doesn't know much about Yuri at all. There's only one person who knows him above all else.

Whatever Balthus has told him, it's not going to be a lie. That's the part that worries Yuri.

Even if Yuri wanted to contest whatever Claude knows, it's too late. Would saying that it's not true change his mind? Nothing he can say will change his mind, and he doesn't have enough time to fix things. Yuri's shoulders sink.

"That's right."

Whatever Claude has convinced himself of, Yuri won't dispute it.

What little spark remained in those green eyes is gone now, completely extinguished. Yuri has seen that before, but not on Claude. He's seen it in so many pairs of eyes, including Dorothea's. And usually, there would be some sort of sick joy in breaking hearts, because one way or another, Yuri got what he wanted. Not this time. This is not what he wanted. There are many things Claude wants to say to him, half-formed words that never make a sound, but instead he clicks his tongue, and walks away.

Yuri is left alone with his roses. The air is chilly, freezing him right to his bone, and yet he feels strangely numb to it.

He is a monster, inside and out. His form is proof enough of that fact.


	5. Chapter 5

There are seven days left.

Neither Claude nor Yuri will speak to each other. They exchange looks in passing, but nothing more. It's as though both sides are waiting for the other to speak, but neither of them are making that leap. Why should Claude keep putting himself out there just for his heart to get crushed all over again? What is the point in Yuri talking when it's too late to fix anything?

It's almost over. The last day is coming. None of them know what will happen.

The other three are slowly being driven mad. Balthus frowns at the sight, and Constance is quick to whisper to whoever will listen about her gripes. Hapi, however, has to try her best not to sigh. There are times when she comes close, and someone has to keep her in check. Every day, they become increasingly aware of their reality. Their only hopes will no longer speak to each other, both too stubborn to take that first move.

And normally, no one would give much thought to Yuri's romantic exploits. It's Yuri, he'll bounce back. This time, it's different. This time, Yuri seemed happy - genuinely happy. That's not a coincidence. It stopped being about the curse. It stopped being about that on Saint Seiros Day, when things felt real and that they were getting somewhere.

Something happened. Heaven knows what, but something changed.

Yuri won't talk to any of them. No matter how many times Balthus pounds at his office door, no matter how much Constance screams at him through it, he's not answering. For once, he knows exactly who he is, and he can accept himself as the monster that he is. He can wait away the remaining few days and hope that the others will be set free, and leave him alone to his wallowing.

Briefly, he considers the alcohol stashed in his desk. In his current form, he's certain that would kill him. He has no idea how his death could affect the curse - not for his sake, but for theirs.

Since the argument, Yuri has been hiding in his office. He's gotten visits from everyone since that day. Everyone except for Claude. He doesn't expect to be chased, not by Claude, even if it would be nice. This time, he should be the one chasing, but he doesn't. It's not nice to be on the other side of things. He's grown too used to the feeling of being wanted, to being loved, that it hurts when that's not the case. He knows he's broken Claude's heart.

He's broken countless hearts. Why is Claude so different?

It didn't hurt this much when Dorothea ended things with him, and that lasted almost a year. He can't call anything else a romance, because that was thinly-veiled manipulation. This time, his goal was not manipulation. There was no goal. Things clicked into place so easily on that night they had spent together. Yuri is easy to fall in love with, but not so easy to stay in love with. He knows this, and it made breaking hearts so easy for him. Breaking hearts is so effortless for him, so effortless that he can do it without meaning to.

He hears pounding on the door. It's not a loud pounding that could break the door, so he already knows who it is. Yuri sighs harshly.

"Go away, Constance."

The pounding only worsens. "I will not! You will open this door immediately and we will talk."

"Demanding, aren't you."

"Yuri, open this door this instant!"

She's more frantic than usual today. She's usually a stressful person, but she must be increasingly aware of their time running out. He leans his jaw in his hand.

"Or what?" he asks.

"Or I shall blast a hole through the wood."

He laughs. "The door's unlocked, and it always has been."

"You-"

She lets out this strange squeak of disapproval, before swinging the door open. She looks angry, the curls in her hair bouncing with every step. She slams the door behind her before charging to his desk, slapping her hands against the wood. She's tiny - the smallest person in the manor - but she certainly tries to make up for it. There's fire in her eyes, but he's not afraid of her. He watches her impassively, waiting for her to set him on fire, or break another chair on his back.

She does neither. She stares at him wordlessly, her brow furrowed. Eventually, he sighs heavily.

"What?" he asks, even though he knows the answer.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asks. "With so few days remaining-"

"It's over, Milady. He knows me for who I am, and he doesn't like what he sees. The final curtain has been pulled, and the applause is deafening. It's just a shame I can't celebrate with alcohol, because I'm pretty sure that will kill me."

He tries it as a joke, but Constance is in no mood. If he's not careful, she might accidentally set fire to his desk. She narrows her eyes at him.

"You and I both know that the greatest shows have encores, do they not?" Constance asks.

"Not if they end in failure," he says with a shrug.

It's not very often that Yuri considers a romantic conquest a failure; it's rare for him to ever fail. Even when he does fail, he picks himself up and tries again with someone else. This is not one of those times. This time, it's crushing, like a weight sitting on his chest. Usually, he has a bit of time before the other half finds out he's terrible. Not this time. This was his last chance.

"Oh, this moping must cease immediately," she snaps. "You, of all people, have faced heartbreak before."

He stares wordlessly at Constance. His silence says it all. Of course he hasn't. Yuri was the one who broke hearts, not the other way around. Is this how it feels? Good grief. He had done this over and over again to people with no remorse. How could Yuri ever think he was a good person? He looks at Constance then, and something inside of her melts. She lets out this quiet _oh_ , and loosens her grip from his desk.

"What did you tell him?" Constance asks.

"Me? I didn't tell him anything. You can thank Balthus for that one."

"Balthus! Of course! Oh, I should have known why he was pulling that face." She shakes her head. "You and I both know Balthus is hardly a source."

"Claude doesn't know that."

Balthus is a lot of things, and he's quite honest, but he doesn't have much brain to work with on the best of days. Especially lately, when he can't even think without fainting. He hums in thought.

"Say, Constance. If we're all cursed, I wonder: is Claude cursed as well?" He taps a finger on his face.

She folds her arms over her chest. "I would say he is cursed to loving you."

Her statement forces a laugh from the back of his throat. "Now _that_ would be a curse, wouldn't it?"

He laughs again, shaking his head as he sits up. The idea of it is hilarious to him. It wouldn't be the first time he's laughed at someone's love confession. It's not the kindest reaction one could have, but once again, Yuri has never been a kind person. After everything Yuri did to him, the idea that Claude would still love him afterwards is-

Wait. The realisation shakes him desperately. Claude could have loved Yuri. He could still love him now. That means there's only one problem left.

"He loves me, but he doesn't trust me," he says, mostly to himself. "It's a wise move."

It's wise, but right now, wise is not what Yuri wants. Damn that man, who is just as carefully guarded as Yuri is. That's part of the fun, even if that makes things more difficult and more complicated.

He has seven days to fix this. He's not sure how he's going to fix it, if it's even possible. There must be a way.

"How screwed do you think I am?" Yuri asks.

Constance's face lights up, but immediately forces down her joy. "Perhaps I could cook up a potion of sorts? Oh, but how would I make him drink it? Ah, I will sneak it into his food!"

"You could've said 'No Yuri, you don't stand a chance'," he says in a poor Constance impression. "I know I'm screwed. But I'll figure something out."

With seven days to go, this is his one and only gambit. If this fails, at least he can say he went down trying. That is the more important point to him. He gets up.

"And what is your plan?" Constance asks.

Yuri shakes his head. "I have no idea. But whatever I decide to do, it had better be good."

Yuri loves Claude. It's a feeling that makes him feel impossibly light yet unbearably heavy at the same time.

***

Six days to go.

Claude knows nothing of curses. He's not Lysithea, and he didn't pay that much mind when she did talk about black magic. Ah, what he would give to talk to her now. Of course, she would claim that this is all children's stuff, and that Lysithea is beyond curses that turn people into beasts. Yet Claude is still living this fairytale life. It's just a shame it doesn't end with true love's first kiss. Even if he wanted to - and good gods, he does not - there's no way that he could.

He has no idea what will happen by the end of this. Maybe he'll be trapped here forever with the rest of them. Claude might as well stab himself now. No, he'll just have to find another way out.

Their last day will be the third of the Pegasus Moon. Claude could laugh at the irony: his doomsday marked by Hilda's birthday. He's never believed in fate, but he does believe in cruel pranks by the heavens. It's fitting, in a way, as cruel as it may be.

The tensions are high through the manor. He hasn't spoken to Yuri since their breakup - if Claude can even call it that. Apparently, he's been hiding in his office and no one can get him out. Claude doesn't pay it much mind. It's Yuri's life, and if he wants to spend the rest of his days there, he can.

After every attempt at getting him out, however, Claude will ask how Yuri is. Every time, he's met with a sad look. This lasted from their last conversation all the way up until yesterday, when Constance looked like a frightened animal and ran away. He never got the chance to ask her what was wrong, and today, she's avoiding the topic entirely.

Five days left.

Constance gives nothing away. Yuri still hasn't come out of his office, apart from going to bed. None of them have seen him - or they won't admit they've seen him. Claude's concern grows, but he says nothing. Yuri isn't his problem.

Four days left.

Claude catches Constance in an animated conversation with a bored-looking Hapi. She turns silent the moment she catches Claude's eye. There's that frightened deer look again, before turning on her heel and walking away. Still no sign of Yuri.

Three days left.

Claude finds himself at Yuri's door. He pauses for a brief moment. How easy it would be to knock on the door and demand to know what's going on. Barely, just barely, he stops himself. He sighs harshly, turning away from the door. If he's going to mope in there, so be it. Let him rot away.

Two days left.

The pressure is building. It's a weight that crushes the whole manor, and it weighs even Balthus down. His usual cheer is gone, replaced by a frown that doesn't suit a man like Balthus. Yuri is still hiding in his office. They must face reality: they might have to stay here, like this, forever. It's almost over. For better or worse, it's almost over.

_One day left._

Claude wakes up, but he feels like he can't move. Dread sits on him like a particularly heavy cat that he cannot disturb. He lays back. In a few short hours, it'll be over. He doesn't know what the ending spells for any of them, so he may as well enjoy his final day. He gets out of bed just in time for a note to slip under his door. He furrows his brow, before plucking the card from the floor.

_Meet me in the sitting room. We have a lot to talk about._

_\- Y_

Fancy handwriting - much fancier than someone in Yuri's state could manage. Maybe someone wrote it for him. He's not sure. The card sits on his dresser, before he gets dressed and does as he's told.

He can't hear anyone as he makes his way to the sitting room. He can't hear any signs of life. A part of him worries that perhaps the curse had gotten to the rest of them somehow, and he and Yuri are all that remain. He shakes off the thought. No, they're probably outside, or otherwise quiet.

Now he _knows_ he's bullshitting himself.

Even on the outside, the sitting room is silent. He's half expecting an impromptu party, or for them to jump out at him from behind a wall. He pokes his head in the sitting room, and it's only Yuri, sitting by himself in front of a chessboard. He gestures for Claude to join him, but he stands in the doorway instead, unamused.

"I was wondering if you'd ever come out of your tower," Claude says.

"You know, I was too. Then I thought, what the hell. It's the last day."

"So this is your attempt to win me back."

Yuri shakes his head. "No. It's an offer to hear my side of things, from me, if you're interested. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure the others are having a snowball fight outside. Balthus' aim is terrible, so you'd probably even the odds."

Yuri is joking, but the idea of going for a snowball fight sounds a lot more fun than whatever Yuri wants to talk about. Thankfully, Claude isn't the type to run away from these sorts of conversations, unlike someone else. He hesitates, but he sits down in front of Yuri anyway. The chessboard is set up, ready. He leans back in his seat.

"If I smell bullshit, I'm leaving," Claude warns.

"I'm loving your faith," Yuri says. "No. I'm not going to lie to you. If this is the last day, I might as well be honest and lay it all out."

"Interesting gambit. Why now? Why not a couple of days ago?"

Yuri pauses. "I wasn't going to, but I don't know. I guess I might as well take my last chance, that's all. I'm not asking you to trust me, just to listen."

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are." Yuri chuckles. "Do you want to play? Just one round, and you can leave after that if you want."

"Yeah. Why not."

There's a couple of moments of silence as Yuri makes the first move. Claude can admit, to himself at least, that his focus is mostly on the beast before him. They have all day for questions, but Claude isn't sure where to start. Much to his surprise, it's not Claude that asks the first question.

"What do you know?" Yuri asks.

"That you're a flirt and a heartbreaker," Claude says. "Oh, and that you use people for your own gain."

Yuri doesn't look up at him. "Yeah, that's all true."

Claude scowls. Truth or not, it's not pleasant to hear that. He's sick of chasing after people who don't feel the same way. He's sick of feeling like he's being used. It just keeps happening.

"You didn't get what you wanted," Claude counters.

"And what is it that you think I want?"

Claude makes his move. "To be human."

"Interesting, but no. That's not what I wanted."

Claude looks back up at him. He's certain that, if he could, Yuri would be smiling at him. He crosses one leg over the other, resting his foot on his ankle. Why the hell would Yuri not wish to be human? Claude stares at him, and gestures for him to keep talking.

"I was pretty settled in my fate. I've known since before I met you that I was going to stay like this." Yuri leans over, picking up a pawn carefully with his too-large fingers. "To love and be loved, to trust and be trusted. Yeah. That was never gonna happen."

"Hold on, what?" Claude interrupts.

"Oh. Balthus didn't tell you the full story? Sounds about right." He sighs. "I had a year to love and trust someone. Then Hapi's monsters got rid of about half the bushes. There was no way I was going to find love in six months. Balthus is like a brother, Constance is like my little sister, and Hapi is married. I'm not a homewrecker."

"Then I came along."

Yuri nods. "Then you came along. You're not the first to break into the estate, but you're the only one I've spared. Even then, I wasn't trying to make you fall in love with me. I stayed away from you, in case you forgot."

Right, because Yuri didn't trust him. Not that Claude trusted him, either. Yuri's pawn hits the board with a soft click, and he gestures for Claude to make the next move.

"I don't think I've gotten this close to someone in a long time," Claude admits. "It's…"

"Different," Yuri finishes for him. "Yeah. This is different to anything I've ever done before. I got used to people being disposable, because in the end, everyone leaves. But you can't leave. You're stuck with me."

Claude laughs. "Yeah, tell me about it. These past four months have been something."

Has it really only been four months? It feels like an eternity, yet only days at the same time. He hovers his hand over the board, but he's mostly looking at Yuri. He can't take his eyes off him. For once, he seems sincere: or he's a very good liar. Both are plausible.

"For what it's worth, I never saw you as disposable. You're the first person that- ugh." He covers his eyes with his hands, shuddering at the thought of honesty. "The first person I've cared about like this."

Claude lets out a low whistle. "Wow. Is that some sincerity?"

"I'm telling you the truth. What you decide to do with it is up to you."

"And if I don't believe you?"

Yuri shrugs. "Then nothing changes. Either way, we're fucked."

Part of this means trusting Yuri - and for him to trust Claude. He's not sure Yuri trusts him, but Claude knows he doesn't trust him. He's not sure if he'll ever be able to trust Yuri; it's not like he gives away trust for free. For now, he can try to believe Yuri is being honest with him. At this point, what do either of them have to gain from lying? Claude has no choice but to believe him. Maybe that grain of trust will tip the scales in their favour.

He moves a piece. "Tell me about yourself."

Yuri frowns, but he does. It's nothing he doesn't already know for the most part: he comes from nothing, as does his mother. Ida had managed to charm one of her frequent patrons into marrying her, and taking on her son as his own. Things looked like they were looking up, until a plague took out half of Faerghus almost two years ago. Yuri was spared. His mother and adoptive father were not.

Ever since, Yuri has been Count Rowe. Whether he likes it or not.

"Is this what you wanted?" Claude asks.

Yuri goes quiet for a moment. "I don't know. I was good at what I did, but I don't like the spotlight. If anything, I'm better off supporting from the shadows."

The man he saw in the painting doesn't seem the type to shy away from the limelight. Even the wolf before him doesn't seem the type.

"So, what are your plans when we get out of here?" Yuri asks.

When. Not if. Claude likes the optimism.

"I think I might just go home." Claude moves a piece, before leaning his head in his palm. "What about you?"

Yuri shifts. "I don't know. I guess stay here, get to work on restoring Rowe."

"You don't have to. You could just leave. No one even knows you're alive." Claude grins. "You could say fuck it and leave to, say, another country."

What is Claude doing? He doesn't know. He's throwing ideas out there, but it sounds like a suggestion. Even if it was a suggestion, he doubts Yuri would take it. He looks focused, but whether or not that's on Claude or the game, he's not sure.

"Where?" Yuri asks.

"Oh, I don't know. They say Almyra is nice this time of year."

He looks at him. "Where did you say you were going again?"

"Home." He leans forward. "Why? Are you thinking of doing the romantic thing, dropping your title and running off with a kind stranger?"

Yuri opens his mouth to say something, but closes it, looking like he would rather be anywhere else.

"No. I was just wondering where home was to you. Something tells me it's not Leicester."

It isn't, not completely. He could lie, but where would lying get them? This is their last night, a final attempt before the end. Claude might as well give it his best shot.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" Claude asks.

"What do you have to gain by lying?"

Claude nods, something to buy him a couple of seconds. "Good point. I'll just have to trust you won't tell anyone. It's the last night, and someone might as well know. But no, I'm not from the Alliance, or even from Fódlan."

"I thought so. You're Almyran, aren't you? And that's where you plan on going when this is over."

The present he was going to give Hilda would have been a goodbye present - and, in a way, an invite to follow him. Now, he doesn't even want to do that. He wants to go home and cut out the middleman.

"You've got me," Claude says, holding his hands up in surrender. "My real name is Khalid."

"Are you telling the truth?"

Claude leans back with a winning grin. "You'll just have to trust me."

Yuri scoffs. Whether or not he chooses to believe Claude is up to him, much like how it's up to Claude to trust Yuri. Trust is a strong word, but he's given up one of his biggest secrets to him. It's a leap of faith, and all he can do is pray that it'll pay off. Claude moves his knight across the board.

"Look at that," Yuri says. "I guess friendship really is give and take, isn't it? I'm glad I got to know a little more about you."

"It wasn't so hard to open up now, was it?" Claude isn't sure who he's talking to: both, probably.

"It was."

"Yeah, it was."

They're quiet for a little while as they focus on the game. They exchange glances at each other, and for a moment, things feel normal - as normal as they can. If things were different, would they have ended up here? Would Claude feel the way he does? It doesn't matter, but he's glad, in a way, that things ended up the way that they have.

Right under his nose, Yuri takes Claude's queen.

"Checkmate," he says, smug.

"Alright, you win this round."

"This round, hm?"

"Well, yeah," Claude says. "Unless you have a better way to wait out our impending doom?"

There are probably better ways to spend their time, but this feels right. They reset the board and play again, chatting about the inconsequential things in their lives. There's something about the way Yuri's eyes light up when he talks about his family that Claude can't help but find charming. There's none of that bitterness he seems to hold for himself.

How many secrets does Yuri hold? Claude doesn't have enough time to pry him open completely, but this much is nice.

There comes a point where the game starts mattering, and they talk. Claude talks about his childhood with horses, and Yuri reveals his allergy to fur. The irony isn't lost on either of them. Yuri grew up with a mother and no father, while Claude grew up with three mothers and one father. They're similar in attitude, yet their backgrounds could not be more different; finding common ground with Yuri is easy.

Morning soon shifts to afternoon, and afternoon is quick to turn into early evening. They're only aware of the passage of time when Claude's stomach grumbles. They eat dinner with the others, and the previous week's atmosphere has been lifted. Either that, or they've all accepted their fate. Either way is possible.

One way or another, it's almost over. That alone is reason enough to celebrate.

After that, the five of them go their separate ways. If there's ever a time for solemn prayer, it's now. Claude isn't the praying type, but in his bed, he'll utter a quiet prayer under his breath. He's not sure what exactly he's praying for. Salvation, in its most basic sense. The gods were cruel, and Claude knew they would never heed his prayers. Claude is nothing if not an optimist.

***

The first light of morning is blinding, even through the curtains.

Yuri groans. Alright, fine, he's awake. He scratches his arm. He's alive - that's something. What about the others? He presses his lips together at the thought. He should get up and go and find them. He scratches his chest. He goes to his wardrobe, but he's not sure why he bothers with clothes anymore. Then again, the only thing separating him from being a full beast is his humanity. He grabs an outfit, though it feels larger than usual. He'll get Constance to fix it later.

He puts his clothes on the back of his chair by the dresser. Right as he puts them down, he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

"Fuck!"

He almost doesn't recognise the young man in front of him. His eyes are wide open as he reaches for his hair, combing through the soft violet hair. He's had this dream before, but the dream always ends before he can touch his hair. He caresses his own cheek, taking in the feeling of flesh. Holy fuck.

He manages to stumble out of his bedroom, his legs shaking. Part of him is sti convinced that this is a dream, and that he'll wake up in a darker reality.

He doesn't know how, but he finds himself in front of Claude's door. Out of everyone, he should know the good news first. He pounds on the door, desperate, and he hears Claude get out of bed on the other side. He can complain all he likes, as long as he hurries. He opens the door, with his mouth open ready to complain. His complaints are silenced when he sees Yuri.

"Yuri?" he asks.

They're the same height now, on the same level at last. All Yuri can do is smile at him with a short nod. Claude takes a step closer to him. Neither of them look their best right now, both only having just gotten out of bed and still in pyjamas, but that doesn't matter right now. Claude cups Yuri's face in his hands, bursting into the widest smile Yuri has ever seen.

"There you are," he says, brushing some hair out of Yuri's face. "You're not a monster after all."

Yuri scoffs. He loops his arms around Claude's waist, pulling himself closer. He's heard it all before, all those compliments and sweet little lies a person could tell him. Yet this time, lie or not, Claude softens his hardened heart. Somewhere deep inside Yuri, some humanity remained, dormant after everything.

"It goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway." Yuri leans closer, his eyes half-shut. "I love you."

He doesn't know if he's ever said those words to another person. Probably not. It's terrifying, yet so freeing to let that feeling go. He's waiting for rejection, but it doesn't come. There's an unbearable silence as Yuri waits for Claude to say something. Anything.

Claude's hands are warm on his face - or perhaps it's Yuri's own embarrassment heating his face.

"Yeah, but it should also go without saying that I love you, too."

Even though Yuri knows, there's something about hearing those words that makes him feel complete inside. Claude's lips meet his own, catching him by surprise. He can't pinpoint how long he's wanted this for. Too long. Now that he's got it, he's not going to let it go.

It's not his first kiss - not at all - but it's the first that's left him feeling so weightless and free.

They pull away from the kiss, touching their foreheads together. Yuri holds him close, like all of this will disappear if he doesn't. With each passing moment, Yuri grows more and more certain. This is real. Everything is going to be just fine. He laughs, and kisses Claude again, more desperate than the last kiss.

And finally, for the first time in Yuri's life, he feels like he's human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas for my best friend, who I would die for. "Hey can I get BatB AU with Yuriclaude for Christmas?" she asked. And I, being selfless, made it everything I ever wanted! Oh and she got the chess scene, I guess. This was fun to write. I cried at some points. Anyway this is the fic I've been yelling about on Twitter LOL. I've lost control of my life and this is now a fave ship.
> 
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